Citizen Centric Telecommunications Services During Emergencies - Indian Context

Abstract

Citizen centric telecommunication includes both 'Citizen to Authority' as well as 'Citizen to Citizen' for voice and data service from wireless and landline access, including limited mobility on fixed line users. Telecommunications infrastructure failures are common occurrences during disasters due to a variety of reasons including network congestion. Reducing the impact of emergencies and disasters public telecommunications is a significant challenge, an urgent priority, and a fundamental expectation of the citizens from the government regulators and the TSPs. Public safety and disaster preparedness do not get the attention they merit in India, where neither the government nor the individual find it worth the while to invest or pay for the 'add-ons' of emergency devices or facilities. On the other hand initiatives of the Indian telcos during disasters lack content and veer away from their core competencies. This paper focuses on the citizen related communication aspects and aims to establish realistic expectations in terms of the service and policy in the context of citizen centric emergency communications in India.