200 mobile towers shut down, 35 lakh users hit

200 mobile towers shut down, 35 lakh users hit

DNA | Sep 11, 2012, 05:18AM IST

 

Jaipur: Private cellular phone operators shut down around 200 mobile towers across Rajasthan following Rajasthan High Court orders banning installation of towers on or in vicinity of schools, hospitals and jails.

The shutdown of the towers, which were functional in schools, would impact the cell phone service quality of 35 lakh users in 40 cities of state. “Around 25 lakh users would be affected by the decision to take down the towers in schools,” Sudipto Choudhary, CEO Airtel, and Unnipam Krishnan, CEO Idea, told reporters in Jaipur, on Monday.

Mobile towers of seven companies Airtel, Aircel, Vodafone, MTS, Tata Docomo and Idea would be removed from the schools, the Cellular Operator Association of India (COAI) announced in a joint address. BSNL users won’t be affected by the decision.

Officials said the range of the call would be affected due to shortage of towers. It would take 30-90 days to replace the towers on “suitable buildings in city”.

Mobile operators are planning to shutdown 500 additional towers located near jails and hospitals, in city.

The decision comes on heels of a high court order on August 31 instructing the cellular operators to remove mobile towers near schools, hospitals and jails within 15 days.

Cellular service providers said that in villages and small towns where a single tower is a being used to provide communications network, would face a complete breakdown in services if the said tower is selected for removal.

“Services will be hit in towns like Vajirpur, Anandpur, Raini, Chainpur, Chainpura, Shahpura, Hansalay, Saipura, Bhatubhai and around 40 villlages,” a COAI said.

http://daily.bhaskar.com/article/RAJ-JPR-200-mobile-towers-shut-down-35-lakh-users-hit-3771606.html