New Delhi: In the midst of continuing the border facing China, the Ladakh government took a leap in expanding sound connectivity and reliable data along the LAC (actual control line) by launching 4G services in four forward villages on Sunday.
Jamyang Tsering Namyal, who represents Ladakh at Lok Sabha, inaugurates Voice and Data Reliance-Jio services in Demchok, Chushul, Nyoma and Durbuk.
Projects are being financed by the Universal Service Liability Fund, said district officials.
The launch of reliable telecommunications services is expected to bring qualitative changes in the lives of the border population in terms of security, health and education, especially when these areas become practical inaccessible during the harsh winter.
It will also help warriors stay in touch (in the rules of using a private telephone) with family without having to walk up the hill to capture the BSNL signal (if available) or avoid Chinese telecommunications towers.
It also marks the new approach to the Army against civil construction in the border area.
The telecommunications plan for Demchok, for one, has hung fires for more than a year because of the Army objection.
Facing the administrative persistence of the district, RR Unit (Rashtriya Rifles), who replaced the previous regiment, took a positive view and cleared the plan at a meeting with district officials on June 20.
14 Corps also accelerated permission to put the cable and tower erection.
Demchok, Village ‘Zero-km’ in East Ladakh, about 353 km from Leh via road, is one of the locations – the others became dependent in the west – where Indian and Chinese forces are still facing each other.
Chushul, South Pangong Tso about 250 km from Leh, last year saw massive military mobilization by both parties during the peak of border tensions after the June battle in the Galwan Valley where both parties took victims.
Durbuk and Nyoma are used by the Army as a staging area to move troops, armor, and supplies in Galawan-Shyok and Chushul-Demchok ax.
This center has approved 70 towers to launch telecommunications services in isolated Ladakh villages.
The service has begun in many villages identified, including Tangtse – seat 114 Army Brigades that maintain LAC on Ladakh – Screw in Nubra Valley and Sarchu in Cargil District.
While many of these villages do not have telecommunication connectivity, services from BSNL managed by the state – and still – the best patchy.
While BSNL is a hamstrung for various reasons, the government decided to take the US route to connect high track land after becoming a federal area.