Connectivity Push In Strategic Border Areas - 354 Remote Villages To Get Mobile Coverage

The government is working on a priority basis to provide mobile connectivity in the far flung borders areas of strategic importance to ensure better quality of life to the people living and working there, Union Minister of Electronics and Information Technology, and Telecommunications Ravi Shankar Prasad said on Monday (10 August).

Prasad said this while speaking to media after the inauguration of the 2,300-km long submarine optical fiber cable, connecting Andaman and Nicobar Islands with Chennai, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The telecom minister said that the department of telecommunications (DoT) is working on various projects to provide connectivity in remote and difficult areas.

Prasad informed that a tender for 354 uncovered villages in the strategic, remote and border areas of the country has been finalised. The project is is under implementation in 144 villages of the union territories of J&K, and Ladakh.

Besides, the work is also going on in villages in the states of Bihar, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesha and Gujarat.

These villages have been strategically choosen to cover border area connectivity on mobile, the Ministry of Communications said in a statement.

"After commissioning of these villages, there will be no uncovered villages in UTs of J&K, Ladakh for mobile connectivity. Satellite based DSPTs (Digital Satellite Phone Terminal) are also being provided at 1347 sites for Army, BRO, BSF, CRPF, ITBP, SSB etc. Out of which 183 sites are already commissioned and remaining are in process," the ministry said.

Prasad further said that the DoT was also working on providing mobile connectivity in villages of 24 aspirationsal districts of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.