PHEK, NOVEMBER 21 (MExN): The Phek District Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PDCCI) has sought urgent intervention from Airtel’s Appellate Authority in the North East Region over what it described as prolonged and recurring breakdown of Airtel network services in Phek town.
In a letter addressed to the authority, PDCCI said the disruption in connectivity for several months had caused serious inconvenience to businesses, educational institutions, emergency service providers, tourists, financial establishments and the general public who rely on stable telecom services for daily communication and digital transactions.
Citing information from Airtel field technicians, the Chamber said frequent fibre line damage due to ongoing road construction works was the primary cause of the outages. While acknowledging development activities, PDCCI said a telecom service provider was legally obligated to ensure uninterrupted services in accordance with the Telecom Consumer Protection Regulations, Unified Licence conditions and TRAI’s Quality of Service norms.
The continued failure to meet these standards amounted to deficiency in service under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, and violated the rights of business subscribers under the Indian Contract Act, it added.
The Chamber said the disruptions had resulted in commercial losses, interruption of digital payments and banking services, breakdown of supply chains and online commerce, and inconvenience to students during academic activities. It noted that telecom connectivity had become critical infrastructure for economic and administrative functioning, especially in a growing town like Phek.
PDCCI urged Airtel to implement a permanent and robust solution, including a redundant fibre route, microwave or satellite-based backup transmission, protection of underground conduits, real-time monitoring, and improved local coverage. It also sought coordination with road construction agencies to prevent further fibre damage.
