Shimla, Jun 30 (IANS): Bringing tribal areas closer through virtual mode, the Himachal Pradesh High Court has directed the government owned BSNL to replace the outdated solar back up technology to redress the problem of inadequate bandwidth due to erratic electricity supply in far-flung areas of the state.

"We are informed by the official of the BSNL that even though they have solar back up but the same is based on outdated and obsolete technology using lead acid battery," a division bench of Justices Tarlok Singh Chauhan and Chander Bhusan Barowalia said.

Listing the matter for the next hearing on July 26, the judges observed: "It appears that one of the major issues of inadequate bandwidth and/or broadband signal is erratic supply of electricity in backward and far-flung areas of the state, more particularly the tribal areas."

"In the given circumstances, we are of the considered view that old and outdated technology needs to be phased out gradually and the batteries need to be replaced with the latest technology in a phased manner."

The court directed the BSNL to prepare a roadmap for installing the latest solar panels initially with regard to 191 towers, which are situated in extremely backward areas of Himachal Pradesh and thereafter get the same approved from the quarters concerned within a period of one month from Monday and report compliance on the next date of hearing.

The judges also found that the rates for laying cables in the state were probably the highest in the country at Rs 1,600 per metre.

However, Advocate General Ashok Sharma was granted four weeks time to apprise the court regarding this aspect.