Devusinh Chauhan. File
| Photo Credit: Twitter/@devusinh
All uncovered villages will be coated with 4G community by 2024, Minister of State for Telecom Devusinh Chauhan mentioned on April 29.
Speaking to PTI, Mr. Chauhan mentioned that Prime Minister Narendra Modi constantly motivates everybody to do extra and his ‘ Mann Ki Baat‘ episodes additional conjures up to take authorities tasks and providers to individuals on the final mile.
“If we talk about 4G saturation project, about 38,000-40,000 villages don’t have signal. Prime Minister says that you have done good work but reach out to every home. We have kept target to complete 4G saturation by 2024,” Mr. Chauhan mentioned.
He was talking to mark the celebration of one centesimal episode of ‘ Mann Ki Baat‘ scheduled for broadcast on Sunday. The Minister mentioned that 4G community in all uncovered villages will lead to socio-economic transformation and bridge digital divides.
“It will bring a lot of socio-economic transformation in villages where 4G signals will reach. Citizen standing at last mile will be able to check accountability of government once he is digitally connected. Connecting villages digitally in a way means connecting people with democratic values,” Mr. Chauhan mentioned.
The Union Cabinet had accepted a challenge for saturation of 4G cell providers in uncovered villages throughout the nation at a complete value of ₹26,316 crore in July 2022.
The challenge will present 4G cell providers in 24,680 uncovered villages in distant and tough areas. The challenge has a provision to embody 20% further villages on account of rehabilitation, new-settlements, withdrawal of providers by present operators and many others. In addition, 6,279 villages having solely 2G and 3G connectivity shall be upgraded to 4G.
The challenge will be executed by BSNL utilizing indigenously developed 4G expertise stack and can be funded by Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF). The challenge value of ₹26,316 crore contains capex (capital expenditure) and 5-year opex (operational expenditure).
Besides protecting villages to underneath 4G saturation challenge, the federal government has been operating a drive to join unconnected villages by personal companies in addition to State-owned telecom agency BSNL by offering monetary assist underneath USOF schemes.
The Minister mentioned that about 2.5 lakh villages have been connected with optical fibre and 4 lakh villages will be connected with high-speed broadband community quickly. “In Mann ki Baat, Prime Minister has talked about digitisation and Digital India. We are working based on inspiration received from him,” Mr. Chauhan mentioned.
