Sri Vijaya Puram, April 2: Growing concerns over unreliable internet connectivity in Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep) have prompted residents to seek the intervention of the Member of Parliament from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, urging immediate steps to strengthen Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) infrastructure on the island.
According to residents, the island continues to face frequent internet disruptions and slow network speeds, affecting both daily life and essential services. While nearby regions such as Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep) have seen better connectivity improvements, Neil Island still lacks consistent and robust OFC support in several areas.
Locals point out that telecom towers in Neil Island appear to depend on indirect connectivity links from areas such as Shadipur, resulting in unstable network performance. This dependency has led to recurring outages and poor data speeds, particularly during peak usage hours.
The issue has also begun to impact the island’s tourism sector. Neil Island, known for its natural beauty and increasing footfall, is witnessing growing dissatisfaction among visitors due to unreliable internet access. Residents say that tourists, who rely on connectivity for bookings, navigation, and communication, often face inconvenience, leading to negative experiences and, in some cases, reluctance to revisit.
With digital services becoming integral to governance, business, and emergency response, the lack of dependable internet connectivity is seen as a major bottleneck in the island’s development. Residents have stressed that for remote island territories like Neil Island, communication infrastructure is not merely a convenience but a necessity.
In this backdrop, residents have appealed to the MP to take up the matter with the concerned authorities in the Ministry of Communications and ensure that Neil Island is provided with direct and strengthened OFC connectivity. They believe that timely intervention at the policy level can address the longstanding issue and improve overall network stability.
The demand underscores a call for equitable digital infrastructure across the islands, especially in regions that are emerging as key tourism hubs but continue to face connectivity challenges.
