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State-run telecom company BSNL is stepping up the expansion of 4G services in remote and previously unconnected areas of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, with thousands of villages being brought under mobile connectivity and further expansion planned in the two states, senior officials said on Friday.
In Odisha, BSNL has installed 1,741 new 4G mobile towers under a Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN)-funded project, providing 4G services to 2,487 remote and unconnected villages, BSNL Odisha Circle Chief General Manager D K Behera said at a press conference in Bhubaneswar. "Additionally, 865 new villages will be covered with 4G mobile services by March 2027," Behera said. He said BSNL was also working to extend high-speed internet connectivity to schools and healthcare facilities in the state. Under the BharatNet project, high-speed internet will be extended to all 314 blocks and 6,798 Gram Panchayats through an IP-MPLS optical fibre cable ring. BSNL will also provide Fiber to the Home (FTTH) services to more than 5,000 secondary schools, 1,100 primary health centres and over 6,500 secondary health centres in Odisha, Behera said. Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the conference, he further added that BSNL had signed an MoU with the Odisha government to provide internet services to schools and public service establishments, including for digital learning and healthcare services. On the sidelines of a Press Conference in Andhra Pradesh, BSNL Chief General Manager M Seshachalam said the company has installed 1,350 4G towers in remote areas, covering nearly 2,500 villages where voice and data services were previously unavailable. BSNL has also received approval for another 890 locations, which will cover nearly 1,500 villages, Seshachalam said. He said some rural locations were recording high data usage, highlighting the need to maintain connectivity in these areas. In the Manyam region, data usage was around 600 GB per day at some locations, he said. The company is also introducing new customer offers ahead of Independence Day. Seshachalam said customers can avail a SIM for Rs. 1 under the Freedom Plan, along with unlimited voice calls and 1 GB of data per day. BSNL has also introduced a Rs. 1,111 FTTH Freedom Plan offering 5,000 GB of data, unlimited voice calls and 25 OTT channels. Seshachalam further said BSNL was making efforts to ensure that connectivity in rural areas is maintained on par with urban areas as the company expands its 4G network. (ANI)
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