COAI urges the DoT to support continuity of telecom services during COVID

COAI has urged Department of Telecommunication for their support to write to Chief Secretaries/ Administrators of States/UTs to allow movement of Telecom staff for continuous telecom connectivity

COAI has written a letter and urged the Secretary, Department of Telecommunication staff/personnel/field engineers of TSPs, ISPs, Infrastructure Providers (IP1s), their Partners (OEMs) and optical fiber maintenance entities and their vehicle move around for sites, fibre and DTH restoration, tower operations, call centres operations, warehouses operations, CAF processing units (for activation and SIM swapping), Data centres operations, maintaining stores, Network Operating Centre and other Telecom/internet related infrastructure operations.

Telecom/Internet deployment, maintenance and operations are an essential part of the country’s information infrastructure as well as the backbone of work/study from home for the common people. Telecom/Internet infrastructure is also crucial in event of dissemination of the information to the public at large, financial transactions by the public and banks and public entertainment etc.

Some states like Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, etc. have put restrictions to contain the spread of COVID-19 virus, including the highly contagious and transmissible Omicron variant.

Lt. Gen. Dr SP Kochhar, Director General, COAI said “The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that connectivity is essential, more than ever before, for citizens. We want to express our sincere thanks to Department of Telecommunication for extending the support to the telecom industry in the past during ongoing COVID pandemic to maintain connectivity. Telecom being an essential service, COAI has requested DoT to issue directions to Chief Secretaries across India to allow the staff/personnel/field engineers of TSPs, ISPs, Infrastructure Providers (IP1s), their Partners (OEMs) and optical fiber maintenance entities who are fully vaccinated must be exempted from the e-pass process and movement is allowed on production of valid Company ID card/ Authorisation letter”.

Amid strict compliance of COVID norms and the telecom industry would be following and adhering to strict hygiene standards and sanitization and continue to support the Government. CT Bureau