Agartala, September 26:
Strengthening BSNL’s telecom infrastructure in Tripura’s border and hilly areas should be treated as a priority in view of both public connectivity and national security requirements, West Tripura Lok Sabha MP Biplab Kumar Deb said on Friday, while seeking an explanation from officials over the pace of 5G expansion in the state.
Deb raised the issues after attending a Telecom Advisory Committee (TAC) meeting at the BSNL headquarters in Kaman Chowmuhani, Agartala, where infrastructure, network expansion and other concerns related to telecom services in the state were discussed.
Highlighting the situation in border areas, the MP said residents in several stretches face prolonged gaps in domestic mobile connectivity. According to him, Indian SIM cards fail to receive service in some locations for nearly 10 kilometres, while mobile signals from Bangladesh are reportedly available up to around 15 kilometres inside Indian territory.
Deb said such gaps affect residents’ day-to-day communication and also have implications for security agencies operating in sensitive border regions. He stressed the need for stronger domestic telecom coverage so that communication and investigative requirements can be addressed effectively.
He particularly called for the expansion of BSNL towers along the international border, saying improved network availability would benefit local residents while also supporting security agencies when access to call records and other telecom data is required during investigations.
Given Tripura’s extensive international border, Deb said the state requires focused attention to ensure that Indian telecom networks remain available across vulnerable and difficult-to-reach areas.
The MP also reviewed issues raised during previous TAC meetings. These included BSNL infrastructure, customer service, employment generation and expansion of telecom networks. He said the latest meeting was aimed at taking stock of the progress made on those issues and identifying matters that may require intervention or escalation at the central government level.
The rollout of 5G services also came under discussion. Deb acknowledged that BSNL has made considerable progress in expanding 4G connectivity across Tripura, but questioned whether the deployment of 5G services was moving at the pace required.
He said the speed and reach of 5G services in the state remain inadequate and sought clarity from BSNL officials on the reasons behind the slower-than-expected expansion. The matter, he indicated, would be taken up formally so that the status of the rollout and the steps planned for Tripura could be assessed.
Deb also referred to the restrictions on international roaming that had earlier been imposed across parts of the Northeast because of insurgency-related concerns. He said those restrictions were subsequently removed, although implementation took time, and the situation has improved considerably since then.
Rajya Sabha MP Rajib Bhattacharjee and senior BSNL officials were also present at the TAC meeting. The discussions covered existing infrastructure gaps, service-related concerns and possible measures to strengthen telecom connectivity across the state.
The concerns raised at the meeting have once again brought attention to the connectivity challenges faced by people living in Tripura’s remote border and hill areas. For the state, improved telecom infrastructure remains important not only for access to communication services but also for ensuring reliable connectivity in strategically sensitive locations.
