MEGHALAYA: Internet’s consumers need to be protected as good internet service must in new normal life

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJuly 15, 2020

Appreciating the challenges and efforts faced by State Government to monitor and control the spread of Covid19, Chairman, Grand Council of Chiefs of Meghalaya and Adviser & Spokesperson, Federation of Khasi States John F Kharshiing urged the Meghalaya Government to constitute a special team to assist, facilitate the monitoring and support for repair and maintenance of Internet services during Curfew and Lockdown.

In a letter to Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, Kharshiing sought the attention of the Chief Minister to a number of request from parents of returnees who are either studying online writing exams online and a number of them are also on a work from home (WFH) online status, who were affected by the poor service of internet service providers and sub-contractors during lockdown till Tuesday last as there were difficulties faced by parents subscribers to response from the local offices of the central and private internet service providers to phone calls for registering internet service complaints where automated facilities could have been initiated and installed.

It is obvious that in these times of covid19 there is bound to be instances such as the present case where two days or even a one week total curfew and lockdown, may have to be imposed and we have no disagreement on such steps to contain the spread of covid19, Kharshiing said while adding that however, while notifying curfew and lockdown, exemptions have been announced for departments providing essential services.

The letter requested that attention be taken to also exempt those providing service for internet repair and maintenance during curfew and lockdown as our new normal life and productivity would be also greatly dependent on the effectiveness of virtual online services and activities.

Kharshiing said that as in the present case parents have informed that in the past Lockdown they have had a trying time and experience while attempting to register their complaints, and have many a times had to also call a number of sub-contractors for fixing a fault and complaint.

He also asserted that the consumers need to be also protected and a downtime penalty clause or relief for consumers need to be also considered as productivity of the individual is greatly impacted during these very challenging period of covid19.

He called upon the consideration of the State Government to thoroughly review the present mechanism so that a special task force be constituted or to ensure that a functional effective information technology state consumer forum be activated to synergise the activities of all the internet  service providers so that prompt repair and maintenance is not delayed to the subscribers.