Mobile phone sales must come under essential services during lockdown: ICEA letter to PM Modi

The India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA) has written a detailed letter to Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting his government to include mobile phones and other ICT products, which are the backbone of communication and digital economy, as citizens must have unrestricted access to online sales and repair services.

ICEA has also written in the letter that ICT products, specifically communication gadgets such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, and computers are essential for teleworking and other agile work methods, and go a long way to ensure that the productivity of the public and private sector can be maintained in the current state of emergency. These products meet the necessary needs of the country’s citizens by ensuring continuity of connectivity in an environment where citizens are asked to isolate themselves from colleagues, family, and friends.

ICEA Chairman Pankaj Mohindroo, in the letter, also expressed that even for ordinarily citizens and office goers, the ability to “work from home” and “isolate” from each other necessarily requires lakhs of employees to use such communication gadgets. Further, they are the lifeline for ensuring the orderly and effective functioning of testing labs, clinics, nursing homes, ambulances, chemists and ration shops, grocers, e-commerce platforms, bank officials, print & electronic media, petrol pumps, and private security services, etc.

Mohindroo also brought up another important need in the letter. He has indicated that heavy usage will need maintenance and replacement. However, with the extended lockdown period, and with nearly 98% of internet connectivity used via smartphones, tablets, and laptops, etc, there is tremendous pressure on these gadgets. The higher than normal usage will also result in the need for regular maintenance, repair, service and the replacement of old gadgets with, where needed.

Citing examples from other countries under lockdown owing to Covid-19, Mohindroo explained that several governments around the world have included telecommunications / ICT services as well as service support and sales of such communications devices for residential use, in the list of essential services that can continue to operate during the lockdown period due to COVID-19 in their respective countries. This, to ensure that first responders, officials and citizens who are either exempted from the lockdown or are required to stay and work from home can continue to operate effectively and without any discontinuity during the lockdown period.

Therefore, ICEA has urged the government to allow service and maintenance outlets/warehouses for mobile phones, laptops, computers and tablets; and online sales of mobile phones, laptops, computers, and tablets via e-commerce platforms that are allowed to deliver “essential goods” in the country.

On the other hand, ICEA says that in support of the general lockdown orders, the representative body does not seek the opening of lakhs of retail outlets who sell such consumer equipment, at this stage.

Mohindroo, in the letter, expresses, “We would also like to highlight that through mobile devices the government can also track the citizens that are impacted by Covid-19. It helps the health authorities to better track the movement of the infected citizen. It also provides information to the citizens about the spread of the virus, where the hotspots are and what to do in case of an emergency. If their phones etc were to breakdown or if they were not to have a smartphone for whatever reason, they should have access to the repair shops or stores to procure one. In rural areas and in tier 3 and 4 towns sale of phones happen from service outlets because in tier 3 / 4 towns and rural markets, a lot of the purchases happen from stores and not through the e-commerce channels. Therefore, we also request that sales be allowed through service outlets too.”