By admin 
Ahmedabad: Ahmedabad: Facing Network Issues on Your Mobile? The cause of this is a wave of thefts of telecom equipment. Over the past six months, mobile users across Gujarat have been experiencing connectivity issues due to widespread theft of telecom infrastructure. The disappearance of essential components, especially the Remote Radio Unit (RRU), has resulted in poor or non-existent mobile signals in many locations. These recurring cases of equipment theft have led to frustrating experiences for subscribers.
Telecom industry sources said 165 cases of theft of telecom equipment were reported in Gujarat between April and October. This led to the filing of 142 FIRs and financial losses to the tune of Rs 4 crore in Gujarat alone.
RRUs are an important part of cell towers that send and receive signals, facilitating voice calls and internet connectivity. The sudden removal of an RRU causes immediate signal disruptions, affecting thousands of mobile users in the area.
Baseband units (BBUs), which support network connectivity, are also being stolen, sources said.
Industry sources said the gangs involved use specialized tools to remove RRUs which are located at heights of up to 40 meters and usually strike at night.
“Most of them are experts in climbing tall structures and always have escape vehicles ready. As telecom companies, we have set up alarms and taken increased security measures to identify and prevent such thefts,” a source told TOI.
According to telecom industry players, such thefts have been reported in Ahmedabad, Banaskantha, Gandhinagar, Kheda, Kutch, Mehsana, Navsari, Surat, Vadodara, Valsad, Anand, Godhra, Limdi, Nadiad and Sanand, causing significant inconvenience to residents and financial strain . for telecom providers.
“The theft of RRUs leads to outages, forcing companies to replace equipment at high costs,” said a telecom industry source.
Compared to the previous six-month period (October 2023 to March 2024), when 317 RRUs were stolen, theft incidents have decreased, but the impact on network connectivity remains severe.
Industry sources claim that these stolen units often make their way to countries like China and Bangladesh through illicit trade networks, impacting not only local telecommunications services but also the deployment of 5G networks in the country.
In the past, the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) has filed a representation with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) seeking prompt action to address this security issue.