the coastal areas along Bois des Amourettes, Bambous Virieux and Grand Sable, he will, for the benefit of th…
(No. B/108) Mr M. Seeburn (Second Member for Vieux Grand Port & Rose Belle) asked the Minister of Information Technology, Communication and Innovation whether, in regard to the coastal areas along Bois des Amourettes, Bambous Virieux and Grand Sable, he will, for the benefit of the House, obtain from Mauritius Telecom, information as to whether consideration will be given for the installation of additional telephone aerial/antenna to improve the signals for telecommunications in these areas.
Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Second Member for Vieux Grand Port and Rose Belle. An interesting problem has been raised, and this also links up to the question that was asked around two weeks back with regard to the network coverage. Madam Speaker, you see, this is the legacy of the previous government, and we have seen the digital divide increasing. So, the concept of e-inclusion was set onto a secondary plane. I am informed by Mauritius Telecom, Madam Speaker, that it has several telecommunication towers in that region, namely at Vieux Grand Port, Anse Jonchée, Bambous Virieux, Grand Sable, and Pointe du Diable. However, due to the winding roads and elevation of the terrain, that is, the topology of that region, as well as the natural features of that space, these towers do not provide adequate coverage thereat. Mauritius Telecom has envisaged the deployment of additional towers in the region and has accordingly initiated site search exercises in view of securing new locations. These exercises were, nevertheless, not successful since most of the lands identified are state-owned and have already been allocated to particulars. Madam Speaker, my ministry will, in collaboration with the Ministry of Housing and Lands, provide the necessary support to Mauritius Telecom Ltd in finding an appropriate site
85 for the setting up of an antenna to enhance telecommunications coverage in the region. Thank you.
Thank you. Yes.
Would the hon. Minister also consider urging the other network providers, such as Emtel and MTML in particular, to equally improve their current services so as to have better mobile network coverage in these areas?
Madam Speaker, the other providers are obviously private companies, and as far as they are in compliance with the provisions of the ICT Authority, we are satisfied with their service. However, given the issue with the coverage, we will extend the same collaborative approach to all the operators. I think I should mention as well that Mauritius Telecom does carry out proactive tests in various regions. So, I would also encourage other Members who do identify those challenges to let us know so that we can enhance the coverage, and we can also extend e-inclusion and close the digital divide. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Thank you. Yes, the hon. Second Member for Rodrigues! RODRIGUES – SPECIALISTS/SENIOR SPECIALISTS – TOUR OF SERVICE