Mobile Network during Emergency : Provisions of special type of encrypted Mobile Phones

Mobile Network during Emergency : Provisions of special type of encrypted Mobile Phones

Whether the Government proposes to provide special type of encrypted mobile phones to the officials, security personnel and technocrats for use during occurrence of natural calamities, terrorist attacks and bomb blasts..?

The Minister of State for Home Affairs Shri.Mullappally Ramachandran stated in the Parliament to the above question on 11th December, 2012 as follows...

‘As per information received from Department of Telecommunications (DOT), some incidences of overloading of part of telephone and mobile network have been reported due to heavy traffic resulting in breakdown of communication during occurrence of emergency situation.

This Ministry has no such proposal to provide special type of encrypted mobile phone to the officials during such situations. However, it is mentioned that a coordination meeting was held on 19.10.2011 wherein a need for a secured mobile network and secure mobile phone was expressed. In the same meeting, need was also expressed for user or certain cell phones to be able to communicate in emergencies i.e. priority calls. DOT in consultation with TEC are currently working on the issue of priority calls’.