Cantonment Board seeking resolution of mobile phone network issue through auction

MEERUT: Landline connections continue to be crucial for the residents of the Meerut Cantonment due to poor mobile network connection in the area. Since mobile network towers in Cantonment areas nationwide are not allowed due to security reasons, they rely on weak signals that are received from the other parts of the city. The Meerut Cantonment Board (MCB) has been claiming since a long time that it will take steps towards resolving the issue by setting up Cell-on-Wheels (COW) which is supposed to solve the problem.The board, which rolled out tenders several times, said that no service provider has responded. The service providers on the other hand stated that when they approached the board, it quoted too high a price. The MCB now plans to resolve the issue with an auction.
“There is no connectivity for any mobile network. It is impossible to have a conversation on a mobile phone in the Cantonment area. One has to rely on landlines to have conversations. In many other parts, people have started giving up landline connections as mobile phones have replaced them. That is not the possible here,” said PK Jain, a resident of Cantonment area.
“We have rolled out tenders a few times for Cell-on-Wheels but no company has approached us. Maybe they do not find it economically viable. Now, we are thinking of going for an auction. So, we will invite various companies to buy the rights for Cell-on-Wheels in Meerut Cantonment,” said MA Zafar, MCB.
However, service providers have claimed that the MCB has not approached the problem with seriousness despite being approached by service providers. “It is a major problem for us that there is no connectivity in Cantonment. Our customers complain to us. The board has only delayed the matter and not done anything about it till now,” said a senior manager at one of the service providers.