Telecom dept clamps down on illegal mobile network boosters in Delhi

Department of Telecom's wireless monitoring organisation conducted raids in Delhi to bring down illegal network boosters which interfere with mobile services and result in call drops and other issues

The Department of Telecom's wireless monitoring organisation on Friday conducted raids in South and South-West Delhi to bring down illegal network boosters which interfere with mobile services and result in call drops and other quality issues, an official said.

The Wireless Monitoring Organisation (WMO) has also issued notice to e-commerce companies warning against the sale of network boosters without valid permit, the official said.

"We got an assignment from WMO regarding unauthorised mobile boosters in East of Kailash, Sant Nagar and South West. We have identified some unauthorised mobile boosters but people are not aware that installing them without a valid permit is illegal. We made them aware of it," G K Reddy, engineer-in-charge, international monitoring station, Wireless Monitoring Organisation, told PTI.

Telecom operators have complained to the Department of Telecom that illegal mobile boosters are interfering with their network which is leading to frequent calls drops, hampering call connection etc.

According to industry sources, there were reports of around 3,000 illegal boosters working in Delhi.

"We have been conducting raids for the last one year and have removed around 400 boosters so far. We have asked people not to illegally instal boosters again and a notice is issued to them to refrain from such illegal activity in future. We will also issue notice to vendors selling boosters without permit," Reddy said.

The Wireless Planning Commission under the DoT has in 2019 issued notice to e-commerce for selling network boosters in an unauthorised manner.

The DoT on its website uploaded a public notice asking people to not instal unauthorised mobile signal boosters.

"The general public is informed that any person shall not establish, maintain, work, process or deal in unauthorised wireless transceiving apparatus such as unauthorised mobile signal boosters as it is punishable offence as per the provisions of Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act 1933 and India Telegraph Act 1885," the public notice said.

It added that use of unauthorised mobile signal boosters creates interference in telecom networks and thereby deteriorates the quality of service for telecom service providers and thereby mobile phone users.