Over 60 remote villages along the northern periphery of Meghalaya’s Ri Bhoi district continue to suffer from erratic and often non-functional mobile network services, triggering widespread frustration and allegations of neglect and exploitation against private telecom giant Bharti Airtel.
A group of villagers from the area has now written to Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma for his intervention in the matter.
Despite being entrusted with the responsibility to provide mobile connectivity under the Centre’s Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) — now rebranded as Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN) — Airtel has failed to offer consistent services in the region, say local residents.
Villagers allege that frequent network outages, some lasting up to 17 hours, have become the norm, severely impacting emergency communications, financial transactions, and access to essential services.
“This is not just about inconvenience. It’s about being cut off from the world in moments of need,” said George Marak, headman of Nongspung A village.
“On June 27, there was a network outage for almost 17 hours. No warning, no explanation.”
In a complaint addressed to Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma and Union Minister for Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia, villagers accused the service provider of exploiting poor tribal users.
“Despite providing no reliable service, Airtel shamelessly collects full advance payments from us. There’s no extension of plan validity or compensation,” the letter states.
The Digital Bharat Nidhi scheme aims to subsidize telecom services in underserved areas using funds generated from levies on telecom operators.
According to the Ministry of Communications, the state wise funds spent from USOF to provide mobile network from 2019 to 2024 in North East Circle 1 which include Mizoram, Tripura and Meghalaya, stands at a whopping Rs 403 crore.
However, an Airtel official, defending the company’s position, cited the region’s difficult terrain and extreme weather as key challenges.
“These are not normal conditions. Heavy rains and hilly terrain make service continuity very difficult. One of our technicians recently broke his leg during a repair mission. Yet we’re giving our 100 percent,” the official told the Statesman.
“It’s disheartening that nobody listens to our side of the story.”
Still, for the people in these forested hills, the excuses are wearing thin.
Many say their repeated complaints to the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) have gone unanswered.
The mounting frustration is not just about poor connectivity — it’s about being treated as second-class citizens in the digital age.
Residents are now demanding a direct intervention by the state government, better oversight from the Union Ministry, and either an overhaul of a shift to a more committed service provider.
As India pushes for a “Digital Bharat,” the lived reality in Meghalaya’s remote belts exposes a gaping disconnect between policy and performance.