40 mobile towers to come up in cantonments

Subscribers of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) need not put up with staccato network everytime they venture into a defence area

Subscribers of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) need not put up with staccato network everytime they venture into a defence area.

For the state-owned telecom service provider will soon set up around 40 mobile phone towers in the cantonment areas of Pune, Khadki and Dehu Road.


Representation pic

VK Mahendra, principal general manager, BSNL, said that permissions from other agencies were pending and the towers would be up in the next six months. "We have technically been allotted land only to set up the towers.

For frequency related issues, we will need the nod from the Indian Air Force and the local airport authorities and final coordination with the cantonment board offices. Permission for frequency is important, particularly in case of military and civil aviation, since our network should not interfere with their communications. A
systematic procedure is laid out, which we are currently following," he said.

Mahendra also said that other service providers would also use BSNL's towers. "About 40 towers will be set up from which other leading service providers will also transmit their services. They will pay us a certain contractual amount," said Mahendra.

According to officials, permissions for the cell phone towers in defence areas, including semi-civilian areas like cantonment boards are granted by none other than the Ministry of Defence (MoD). An official from the Pune Cantonment Board requesting anonymity said that they would interfere only if they receive appropriate directions from the MoD.

"It's a win-win situation for both the cantonment board as well as the service provider. They will pay a certain amount for the setting up of the towers and enhance their network connectivity. Plus, other service providers will pay them for using their towers as well," said the official.

There are about five lakh BSNL mobile service users in the city.

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