Roving signals may stop telcos’ expansion in J&K

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Telecom companies in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) may have to halt their expansion programmes. The J&K police and other security agencies have denied them permission to install antennas near the border until equipment to block the flow of signal across the border was installed.

State-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and other mobile companies operating in the militancy-hit state and neighbouring Punjab have been prohibited from erecting towers along the international border and line of control (LoC) until they have put in place a mechanism to block or weaken signals from travelling to Pakistan or Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir, official sources said.

The Vigilance Telecom Monitoring Cell of J&K, along with the state police, had tested the signals of BSNL and private companies within the range of 10 km of the LoC and the border and it was found that active signals were drifting across.

An official from the state home department said the signals would come in handy for militants operating from across the border and the least police can do is to choke the signals from roving across the border.

In the meantime, a policy is being framed by the Centre regarding installing cell sites or radio transmitters for mobile services falling within 500 metres along the international border and LoC. This will help to provide mobile services to people within 10 km of the border between Akhnoor in J&K and Pathankot in Punjab.

Department of Telecom (DoT) has been asked to impose strict conditions on the licensees so that they use the requisite technology to ensure that the signals become unusable within 500 metres of the international border round the clock.

DoT would also put in place a monitoring mechanism to ensure that the service providers in these areas strictly follow the conditions of the license. “Technical experts from the intelligence bureau and ministry of defence should also be made part of the monitoring group,” a note circulated for consideration of committee of secretaries (CoS) said.

Security agencies in the state initiated this move after signals of Pakistani telecom companies were seen travelling into Jammu and Kashmir freely. “Some of the conversations recorded during our interception showed militants talking on the mobile phones, but it was difficult to get the GRIT reference,” a senior police official said.

It was only after some Pakistan-based Lashker-e-Taiba militants were killed in an encounter, the mystery ended after activated mobile SIM cards of Pakistani telecom companies were recovered from them in Kupwara in north Kashmir, the official said.