Concerns about the increase in telecom equipment theft incidents have been voiced by the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), which is the representative body for significant telecom providers including Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea. 

COAI has requested government assistance to address this issue, which is incurring considerable losses and impacting customer services, in a letter to Telecom Secretary Neeraj Mittal.

The telecoms said in the letter that even customers are suffering as a result of their massive losses and the costs associated with replacing equipment at the impacted facilities.
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has been advised by COAI to write to each and every State Chief Secretary, stressing the importance of giving telecom equipment theft reports first priority and enforcing stringent measures.

Additionally, the organization has asked the DoT to order the immediate blocking of a number of international websites that are suspected of selling active equipment that has been stolen from telecom networks, including as eBay, Alibaba, Telefly, Seeker816, and Dorfatrade.

SP Kochhar, the director general of COAI, emphasized the concerning rise in incidents of equipment theft, especially from October 2023. The main targets of these thefts are Baseband Units (BBU) and Remote Radio Units (RRU).

The association pointed out that this problem disproportionately affects several regions, including as the Delhi NCR, Rajasthan, Assam, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Punjab, and Haryana. Half of the theft occurrences reported in India occur in just 31 districts.

There are serious repercussions for telecom operators and users due to the increase in theft cases. Users are often inconvenienced by affected sites, which frequently see a reduction in service quality or a total stoppage. 

Telcos can suffer significant losses and extra costs in replacing the pilfered equipment.

Government, law enforcement, and telecom providers must work together to address the issue of telecom equipment theft immediately. Through aggressive actions to tackle this issue, the sector can guarantee the continuous provision of top-notch telecom services to consumers throughout the nation.