India Revokes Army’s Special Powers to Decide on Telecom Services in Areas Bordering China, Pakistan

Previously, the Indian Army had the power to inspect base trans-receiver stations and other telecom facilities and could ask for services to be shut down in the event of emergency.

The Department of Telecommunications on Tuesday amended license conditions for removing restrictions on telecom connectivity in areas falling within 10 km of the Line of Control, Line of Actual Control, and the international border running between Akhnoor in Jammu and Kashmir and Pathankot in Punjab.

The Line of Control (LoC) is the de facto border between India and Pakistan, while the Line of Actual Control (LAC) is the loosely demarcated frontier dividing India and China.

The department has deleted clauses asking telecom firms to set up their base stations "as far away from such border (10 km from LAC, LoC) as feasible."

The telecom companies needed to operate their networks in such a manner that "the radio signals fade out when nearing or about to cross the international border and become unusable within a reasonable distance across such border."

The government has also removed a clause that empowered the Army's commanding officer of the local unit to shut down base trans-receiver stations (BTS) in an emergency.

Indian citizens living near the border, from Arunachal Pradesh to Ladakh, have been complaining about network issues for years, alleging that Chinese telecom networks intercepted their mobile phones or radio.

On July 27, the Narendra Modi-led Cabinet decided to cover all the border villages which do not have mobile and data facilities.