The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has rejected the mobile net usage tracking solution proposed by Vodafone India for Jammu and Kashmir on grounds that the solution does not meet the government’s requirement for tracking mobile net usage, say news reports.
However, the operator has countered this by saying that it is meeting the requirements of security agencies, by providing a solution that helps tap all of the mobile internet traffic in the state via its three internet nodes located at Chennai, Mumbai and Gurgaon.
As per DoT directives, operators in Jammu and Kashmir are required to install monitoring equipment so that internet activity in the state can be tracked by security agencies. These guidelines are aimed at addressing the lack of real-time monitoring of communication exchanges taking place over the internet.
Earlier, DoT had asked service providers to commission requisite monitoring equipment by July 15, 2012, a deadline operators have been unable to meet.
Besides, Vodafone India, other operators who have submitted solutions for internet usage monitoring include Bharti Airtel, Idea Cellular, RCOM, Tata Teleservices Limited and Aircel.
Currently, of these operators, Tata Teleservices Limited has installed two servers in Jammu, RCOM has shifted its monitoring equipment from Chennai to Delhi, while Aircel is expected to finalise a possible monitoring solution at the end of the year.
