Telcos seek govt intervention amid surge in equipment theft

Telecom operators have sought intervention from the government amid an increase in incidents of theft of active equipment, which are leading to huge losses and additional expenditure for them.

The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) said remote radio unit and baseband unit are the main equipment being stolen and from October 2023 onwards, such incidents have increased multifold.

“This is a matter of serious concern, not just for the service providers, but also for the public at large. Thus, strict action is required on the part of the authorities to prevent such incidents in the future,” COAI said in a letter to the department of telecommunications (DoT) secretary Neeraj Mittal on Thursday.