Why Reliance Jio, Airtel, and Vodafone Idea advocate for government intervention to restrict access to these foreign online platforms
The consortium of telecommunication companies, COAI, has beseeched governmental intervention concerning the escalating occurrences of theft involving telecommunication equipment. Comprising major operators such as Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea, the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) addressed a letter to telecom secretary Neeraj Mittal, highlighting the matter.
Within the missive, telecom companies lamented substantial financial losses and expenses incurred in replacing equipment at affected sites, coupled with the resultant inconvenience faced by customers.
The association implored the Department of Telecom (DoT) to dispatch correspondence to all State Chief Secretaries, urging prompt attention to such complaints and the enforcement of stringent measures in response.
Furthermore, COAI underscored the urgency of directives from the DoT for the immediate blockade of several foreign websites, including eBay, Alibaba, Telefly, Seeker816, and Dorfatrade. Alleging the sale of potentially stolen “active equipment” from the networks of member telcos, namely Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea, COAI emphasised the criticality of immediate action.
COAI beseeched the DoT to intervene urgently in addressing cases of equipment theft, advocating for coordinated efforts with state authorities to safeguard telecom infrastructure, particularly in areas susceptible to theft, and to issue directives for the cessation of websites facilitating the sale of active equipment.
In a letter dated March 14, COAI Director General SP Kochhar articulated, “This communication is to draw your esteemed attention to a highly concerning issue encountered by our member TSPs (telecom service providers) across multiple circles: the surge in instances of active equipment theft has reached unprecedented levels. Since October 2023, such incidents have seen a manifold increase.”
Highlighting disproportionate occurrences of theft in specific regions such as Delhi NCR, Rajasthan, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Punjab, and Haryana, the association emphasised the adverse impact on customers.
“With the proliferation of theft incidents, customers bear the brunt of the repercussions. These incidents not only precipitate a decline in service quality for customers served by the affected sites but may also lead to complete service disruption,” asserted COAI in the correspondence.
