From Our Special Correspondent
New Delhi: India is the fastest growing market for mobile phones in the world and the North East which entered the field quite late is entering the race as the fastest growing cell phone market in the country.
However, when it comes to mobile networks in the areas bordering Bangladesh it is Grameen Phones which rule air space even within Indian territory! Many VVIPs learnt this in the past.
But the two constitutional authorities- Governor of Meghalaya Ranjit Sekhar Mooshahary and Comptroller General of India Vinod Rai learnt it the hard way.
The occasion was a visit to Mawlynnong, a little village around 90 kms from the Shillong which is the the cleanest village in Asia near the Indo-Bangladesh border. When Mr Rai called New Delhi on his mobile phone it was routed through Grameen phones much to his astonishment and to the Governor’s discomfiture.
Even after so many years of mobile revolution, many of the areas adjoining Bangladesh rely on Grameen as there are no mobile towers put up by Indian mobile phone operators. But Grameen Phones in neighbouring Bangladesh which is a great success like Grameen Banks of that county provides good signal in such areas.
The Meghalaya Governor even mentioned this in the recently-concluded Governors’ Conference held at Rashtrapati Bhawan last weekend.
Several other Governors from the region also raised the same issue following which the Government had assured that it would take steps to correct the situation.
On earlier occasions, former Union Minister, Mr P R Kyndiah and former Meghalaya Speaker Mr Martin Danggo and many other visiting VIPs to the border areas too had a similar experience.
