ITANAGAR, 20 May: Although government claims over 90 percent of villages in Northeastern region have mobile network coverage, some villages in Arunachal Pradesh still lack reliable connectivity.

According to the All Adi Youth Association (AAYA), Dogong Banggo unit, 4G BSNL mobile towers were installed in five villages-Yibuk, Yingku, Sine, Pareng and Dosing-out of the 10 in the Banggo in Siang district under the 4G Saturation Project. However, the telecom condition remains far from satisfactory, the organization said.

The AAYA stated that the BSNL authority in an official letter on 10 March this year informed that out of the installed sites, four had been commissioned, while Yibuk remained pending due to non-delivery of VSAT hardware materials.

“The BSNL further stated that the pending VSAT installation at Yibuk was expected to be completed within two months. However, even after the lapse of more than two months, no developmental work has been observed at the Yibuk tower site and the assurance remains unfulfilled,” the association said.

At present, only the towers at Yingku, Sine and Pareng are functioning and that too through solar power arrangements, it said.

The association further stated that services from these sites remain highly unreliable, with frequent signal disruptions and unstable internet connectivity.

“The towers at Yibuk and Dosing are still non-functional, leaving a major portion of the region without dependable communication services,” it said.

Considering the seriousness of the issue, the association said that it submitted a representation to the chief minister on 17 April this year, highlighting the prolonged suffering of the people and requesting urgent intervention.

The AAYA also stated that the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj minister, the Arunachal East MP also took up the issue with the BSNL authority, urging immediate restoration and stabilization of its services in the affected villages.

“Despite all these efforts and official correspondences, the ground reality remains unchanged,” the association said.

Stating that lack of reliable telecom services is also severely affecting education, administration and developmental activities in the remote villages, the  AAYA, Dogong Banggo, has strongly urged the BSNL authority  to immediately fulfill its assurance regarding the pending Yibuk tower and to electrify all existing tower sites at the earliest.

“Dependence on solar-powered operation alone has proven unreliable in this terrain, and proper electrification is essential to ensure stable and uninterrupted telecom services for the entire Dogong Banggo region,” it added.