While ‘The Ladakh 2025 Vision Document’ does raise hopes of network connections by 2025, one can only wish that the government fast-tracks the process, says Padma Yangdol
Internet and mobile phone networks are an integral part of our lives today. One cannot imagine a life without being connected with our loved ones even while living seven seas away from home.
The number of telephone subscribers in India slightly increased from 1,183.51 million at the end of March 2019 to 1,183.77 million at the end of April 2019, thereby showing a monthly growth rate of 0.02 per cent. The urban subscription increased from 669.16 million at the end of March 2019 to 670.86 million at the end of April 2019. However, the rural subscription declined from 514.35 million to 512.91 million during the same period. The monthly growth rates of urban and rural subscription were 0.25 per cent and -0.28 per cent respectively, during the month of April 2019.
As per the official data, over 43,000 inhabited villages in India do not have mobile phone services. The number of inhabited villages without mobile services stood at 43,088 as on July 27, 2018 (based on 2018 survey) out of 5,97,618 inhabited villages in the country as per Census 2011.
As new lifestyle practices enter the Ladakhi community against a backdrop of centuries’ old indigenous traditions and culture, uncertainty and confusion reign supreme in the minds of local people. The remedy of this situation is ‘The Ladakh 2025 Vision Document.’
It states the following — a mobile van, fitted with the VSAT auto tracing satellite facility, should be procured by the IT department, which will help establish internet / voice / video conferencing connectivity with the remotest corners of Ladakh. The lack of proper telecommunication facilities is especially a glaring gap in the system since many tourists go for treks to remote areas and there are hardly any facilities for quick transfer of information and evacuation in the unfortunate event of a mishap. Rural areas in Ladakh should be given the same facilities and civic amenities that urban areas enjoy. Better telephonic connectivity of Ladakhi villages should be a priority.
There has been a constant problem of network connectivity in rural areas. These villages are remote, utterly backward because of lack of facilities. This has made it extremely difficult for us because we can’t continuously be connected with our parents and other family members. In Phobrang village, where I belong, we use mobile phones but when these don’t work then we have to go STD booths for urgent calls or work. This is a complete waste of our time.
“This can be a huge problem for people,” says Dolma Lanzes from Phobrang, who is a concerned parent. She goes on to add, “People who are starting a business or working from home can face huge problem because of this issue of network connectivity. People are falling behind in our village due to this problem.”
“Many have chosen to move to Leh in search of better opportunities. The younger generation has decided to shift to Leh for further studies. Lack of employment in the village has forced the youth to move to Leh,” says Jigmet Chuskit from Tharuk village.
Rigzen Dorjey, a student from Phobrang village, says, “The irony is that we live in a digital age today and people of Phobrang live without internet connection. Students are really missing what the world has to offer. They miss out on filling online forms and get information late because of no internet connection. The students here lose out on many opportunities. If there is an awareness camp in our area it will help a lot and make our life smoother.”
Phobrang is located near the China border. It is 15 km away from Pangong Lake and approximately 160 km away from Leh town. It takes around five hours by road to reach Phobrang from Leh.
BSNL by far is the best mobile network in Ladakh with widest coverage and it works at Pangong as well but only during morning hours. Beyond Pangong there is absolutely no connectivity.
While ‘The Ladakh 2025 Vision Document’ does raise a hope of better network connections by 2025, one can only wish that the government fast-tracks the process so that the people of not just Phobrang but other villages across Ladakh get connected to the rest of the world sooner rather than later.
—Charkha Features