A day after the Central Government declared that Sikkim has achieved 100% mobile network coverage across its 68 border villages, tourists and local drivers have raised concerns about persistent network issues in high-altitude tourist spots such as Nathu La Pass, Tsomgo Lake, and Baba Mandir.
In a written statement to Sikkim MP Indra Hang Subba on July 23, the Union Ministry of Communications announced that 11 mobile towers had been installed under the Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN) scheme, covering all border villages. Sikkim and Assam were noted as the only Northeastern states to reach this milestone.
However, on-ground experiences tell a different story. Tourists like Surinder Singh from Guwahati reported complete network blackouts near Nathu La, saying digital payments and UPI transactions were impossible. He criticized the promotion of cashless systems in areas lacking basic connectivity.
Local driver Ajay Tamang confirmed patchy signals, noting Jio worked only in some areas and BSNL remained unreliable. While network access has improved recently, significant gaps persist, especially in remote northern regions like Lachen and Lachung. The Department of Telecommunications and BSNL have yet to release detailed coverage data.