Fickle Network Status

Kamal Baruah

(kamal.baruah@yahoo.com)

The rise in cell phone use seems like a natural necessity for modern life. Besides calling and texting, we receive a lot of messages and notifications and, in so doing, stay connected with cellular voice and data even while on the move. The car infotainment system is now interconnected with our phone in the blink of an eye. After a long-distance drive on Saturday, we checked in at a hotel near TMC. With a cup of tea in the evening, we stretched our legs to relieve pain from the long trip. The atmosphere offered a peaceful retreat from the city’s hustle and bustle, and the joy of meeting my daughter at the weekend was such a happy time on the cosy armchair.

Meanwhile, my eyes get tired after a couple of hours of driving in the sun, glaring out of the clear blue sky. I tried to place my palms against my eyes to relax, but old habits die hard. Shortly after, I stared at the screen of my cellphone to see if there were any Instagram stories, visiting the reels tab in my profile. It was unbelievable that the mobile network appeared to have “no service.” I moved to a different area of the room to see the status icons and symbols at the top of the screen. The network was sadly still fickle, showing GPRS, E (Edge), and HSDPA intermittently, and it was hard to catch 4G. As a passionate tech user, I know how frustrating it could be to see only 1 bar of cell signal through the window.

I was afraid; we had no option but to look for a Wi-Fi network since that was a terrifying experience a day without a mobile phone. To add salt to this phenomenon, you can be sure that there is still a place a few kilometres away from Tezpur town on the national highway, but the mobile network doesn’t come along. Fortunately, our room had a balcony that looked out over the road. It was indeed a clear day. I saw a cell tower in the distance, and straightaway, I held my mobile device in that direction to communicate radio frequency signals. Hurrah! It’s coming off and on. Our daughter was worried about slow data speeds and was struggling to use any apps for her studies on her iPad. She then joined my personal hotspot, as the network of her service provider was not available. I failed to realize such technical hitches with the advent of core technologies like 5G. Unfortunately, India’s untapped frontier in the in the north-east still struggles with issues like weak infrastructure.

Recently, state-run telecom BSNL launched a universal 4G SIM platform with no geographical location. The hoarding rolled out inside the lift, launching its 5G-ready services. The co-passenger spoke very highly of BSNL networks to his fellow friend. When BSNL is preparing to launch its highly anticipated 4G services across India starting in August, the old recharge of Jio and Airtel is back. Earlier, netizens felt disappointed over the unaffordable new tariff plan. Several social media users joked about the grand pre-wedding function of Reliance Chairman Mukesh Ambani’s son Anant Ambani by blogging, “Someone has to bear the cost of so many pre-weddings.” Those were interesting pieces of content, indeed.

I was in rather a hurry to the sixth floor to sign on the CBS in time. I got into a lift and was glued to my smartphone. It was at about ten o’clock. There was an irritating delay. Imagine a situation when the lift stopped on every single floor, so I chose to check if there was any WhatsApp message from Team SBI. There was no signal, and another time I saw “No service” status. Moreover, one more sticker, “Helpline numbers,” was visibly irritated at my way. Imagine how I am supposed to dial in an emergency  when the network is in no way available and we are trapped in a lift. I sighed woefully and walked out at last.

The signal strength and signal quality are still inadequate. I wonder what 5G would bring exciting prospects to us when the availability of towers at my mobile is a concern. I faced such circumstances in the heart of the city at Panbazar. We just switched from the analogue voice of 1G to the digital voice of 2G. 3G was phased out. Should we aspire to those heights of 5G that enable a new kind of network that is designed to connect virtually everyone and everything together, including machines, objects, and devices? True 4G LTE—the era of faster and more efficient mobile broadband cellular networks—is incapable of giving coverage to subscribers in Guwahati, let alone in the rural northeast. The 5G hoarding tried to persuade us now, but I am worried about porting my TRAI number to a new service provider, thinking of facing a lot of hassles, but I sat tight from that fickle network status on my mobile screen for another time.