254 mobile towers launched in border areas, 336 border villages in Arunachal to get 4G connectivity

ITANAGAR: Around 336 villages in border areas of Arunachal Pradesh will be provided with 4G mobile telephony connectivity, with the government launching 254 network towers on Saturday. The government has approved the construction of 2,605 4G mobile towers for providing connectivity to more than 3,721 villages in Arunachal Pradesh, with a total outlay of Rs 2,675 crore. Over 1,310 gram panchayats have been connected with optical fibre under the Bharat Net scheme, and over 1,156 more towers have been planned to bring digital inclusion. The 5G services have been recently launched in the state capital and will be extended to other areas.

"Today's launch has happened mostly in border areas. By and large, most of the villages will be in border areas. Our district headquarters, like Itanagar, are already connected. The target is to reach out to unconnected and unreached locations," Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju said after a ceremony to dedicate the initial set of 254 mobile towers. Union Telecom and Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw was also present on the occasion.

Rijiju said the security forces and people in the border area used to depend on mobile SIMs from a Nepalese company for communication, but things changed after he informed Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the situation. The minister said that the thinning of the population because of the non-availability of basic infrastructure had become a major concern. He said that now facilities like drinking water, electricity, and roads are reaching remote and border areas.

The 4G towers have been installed by BSNL in the border area, Rijiu said. Under the project, the government has connected remote areas of Tawang district where there have been frequent incursions of Chinese troops. Rijiju said that the 254 4G mobile towers will benefit 70,000 people, which is a big thing for the scarcely populated state of Arunachal Pradesh.

Rijiju said that the USO Fund has identified locations for setting up 1,156 more 4G towers, and under the Vibrant Village programme, even if there are only 2-3 homes left in the border area, they will also be provided with a 4G network. Under the 4G saturation project, out of 2,424 sites for 4G services in the North East, 270 will be connected through optical fibre, 1,237 through microwave, and 917 will be connected through VSAT.

The minister said that satellite communication will be used for connectivity. Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the project involved difficult terrain and represented the success of combined efforts and coordination. "Communication is important not only for connectivity but because it opens many avenues and opportunities," Vaishnaw said.

Vaishnaw said new rail projects are lined up for Arunachal Pradesh and promised that the work on these will be taken forward promptly. Union Minister of State for Communications Devusinh Chauhan appreciated the efforts to bring connectivity, overcoming all challenges, and also mentioned the creation of a national postal hub in Itanagar and various initiatives for bringing postal connectivity in the state. State Chief Minister Pema Khandu said 254 towers will bring major connectivity benefits and transform the lives of people living in far-flung areas of Arunachal Pradesh.

Khandu said 1150 more towers will be operationalized, as he exhorted all the agencies to expedite the work so the target on the remaining towers can be met before time, by December 2023. Khandu pointed out that since 2014, there has been infrastructural change in the northeastern state, which has resulted in transformation. "The digital inclusion has helped in removing corruption and e-governance," the chief minister said, adding that cent per cent e-office is being used and the state assembly has implemented the e-vidhan project. Khandu added that focused coordination and all-out efforts are required to complete the remaining sites before the timeline. He focused on the model of convergence of one plus one as eleven, not two. Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein said in his address that in the past 8 years, the Centre's efforts have brought great connectivity for railways, roads, and telecommunications, bringing overall connectivity to the state.