‘DoT works to resolve tech glitch to speed up tower clearances’

KOLKATA: A technical glitch in the telecom department’s online clearance system for setting up of mobile infrastructure could push back installation of some 50,000 towers and base stations by several months if not rectified soon.

Industry executives said the glitch has led to a backlog of over 100,000 applications as the clearances are now being processed manually. Staff availability issues because of back-to-back lockdowns have compounded the problem.

This comes at a time when carriers are trying to boost network capacities to meet a surge in data demand as millions working from home amid the coronavirus crisis.