Mobile phone connectivity bridges the gap between the urban and rural population. The value of mobile phone services and benefits associated with it are higher in rural areas. But the absence of a 3G network service in Phangkhar Gewog in Zhemgang is making it difficult for people to reap the benefits.
People there have to wait for hours to browse the internet. So, they often walk to hilltops, a typical way to access the network in rural Bhutan. However, it doesn’t work every time.
“Internet here is poor and inaccessible sometimes. Due to this, we miss many official messages that happen through Wechat or mail. So, we walk up the hilltops to get reliable network,” said a civil servant in Pantang, Zangpo.
Like him, other officials outlined similar issues. “Internet has a lot of advantage to us. We can update on the happenings of the country and can also get information on various important matters,” said Sonam Zangpo, a civil servant in Phangkhar.
As parliamentary election is round the corner, people said good network coverage in the area can provide them a platform to participate. They also said, the need for a good network service before elections was even discussed in the recent Dzongkhag Tshogdu.
The meeting has asked the telecom operators to improve the network in these places. But it is not known when that will happen. Of eight gewogs in Zhemgang, only three gewogs have access to 3G and 4G internet services.
