The Hindu Business Line : DoT crack down on illegal satphones

After coming down heavily on illegal international long distance telephone calls and Internet telephony, the Department of Telecom is now cracking down on the illegal satellite phone services being provided by companies such as the Dubai-based Thuraya Satellite Communications.

DoT has written to the Home Ministry to take action against the company since it was providing satellite phone services in India without taking a licence. Though DoT has opened the satellite phone sector, no company has a licence. The result is that anti-social elements and terrorists are smuggling in satellite-based handheld devices to communicate to each other within and outside the country.

Mr D.S. Mathur, Secretary, DoT, told Business Line that, "If satellite phones are being smuggled into the country it is for the Home Ministry to take action. We have already complained against Thuraya to the Home Ministry, which is now looking into the matter."

According to industry sources, footprints of at least three satellite telephone companies cover India — Thuraya, AceS-based out of Indonesia and Iridium. The hand devices of these companies are easily available in countries such as Singapore and Dubai, which is smuggled into India by anti-social elements.

"Since these handheld devices look like a GSM or a CDMA phone it is quite easy to smuggle it into the country. Once inside the country they switch it on to communicate with their collaborators," said an industry source.

A number of such phones were also being supplied by a Bangalore-based company to local police, Army and intelligence agencies in Andhra Pradesh allegedly based on forged documents. Government has since informed all State governments not to buy these phones as no one had the licence to import it. An inquiry into the specific case is also going on.

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