Mobile and internet connectivity in Sikkim disrupted by loss of fibre-optic cables beyond Siliguri

GANGTOK, 17 Feb: Subscribers of BSNL and the plethora of private telecom service providers in the State have been suffering major problems with dropped lines and poor connectivity for the past couple of days.
Almost every mobile telephone service is flashing ‘No Network’, ‘Error in Connection’ or other faults and even the internet service is slow or non existent.
Speaking to different private services providers in the capital today, it was learnt that the present fault is due to the optical fibre cables beyond Siliguri having been cut by some miscreants. The concerned organisation is working on repairs, one is assured.

Speaking to NOW! today, the AGM [Customer Fixed Access], BSNL, Tshering Dukpa, confirmed this.
This, he said was a recurring problem with these lines, which run from Gangtok to Siliguri via Lava [in Kalimpong] being frequent ‘cut’.
However, it was informed that the BSNL Sikkim has already informed ‘ETR Siliguri’ on the present problem and that they are in the process of restoring the lines. In fact, there has already been a marginal improvement in the services since this morning.
The optical fibres, it may be added here, are of no use [value] after they have been cut and what is more, handling by untrained hands could cause fatal accidents for those disrupting it.
This suggest that the cutting of these lines is for more mischief and not for profit, as happens often in the case of jelly-filled telephone cables which are stolen often for the copper wiring inside.
“Locally, the BSNL has also been facing problems due to the theft of its jelly filled cables by miscreants who extract the copper to sell in the black market,” The AGM informs.
“We have been repeatedly requesting the people in the state to help the BSNL in this issue since the BSNL and the police alone cannot stop such practice [theft]”, Mr Dukpa said.
AGM also suggested that the BSNL 3G card, a high-speed internet service, offers more reliable service as it is routed through mircowave transmission system and is not dependent on fibre-optic cables for connectivity.
[SAGAR CHHETRI]