Consolidate Covid-19 tracker apps to reduce bandwidth usage: Telcos to govt

KOLKATA: Telcos and technology companies have urged the telecom department and the electronics & IT ministry to expedite steps to consolidate the over 40 Covid-19-tracker government apps under Aarogya Setu to reduce bandwidth usage and sharpen the pandemic tracking process.

They have also called on the government to widen the scope and power of the Aarogya Setu app, which runs on both 3G and 4G networks, by adding functionalities such as virtual meetings, document management, data communications and productivity boosters, especially with `work from home’ (WFH) being considered the best option for office-goers during the coronavirus crisis.

“There’s little sense in having 40-plus government apps doing the same thing, as in guiding people to avoid risk-prone Covid19 zones to control its spread…it only eats up bandwidth and creates confusion,” a senior industry executive aware of the matter told ET.