The government of Himachal Pradesh has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) for laying the optical fibre cable to provide 4G coverage in unconnected, remote and far-flung areas of the state. This will be a step towards providing reliable and high-speed connectivity to every part of the state, especially the far-flung and remote regions of Kinnaur, Lahual & Spiti, and Pangi. The agreement was signed by Mukesh Repaswal, director, Department of Information Technology, and Charan Singh, principal general manager, BSNL-Himachal Pradesh.
The state government had proposed a project to the central government for the provision of connectivity in the unconnected villages of the state and had received Rs 500 million for the same. BSNL was chosen as the executing agency for the project. Now, with the signing of the MoU, BSNL will start the process of laying down optical fibre and installing telecom towers for providing connectivity.
The project is expected to be completed by December 2023 and will entail installing around 500 km of optical fibre along with mobile towers for the expansion of connectivity in the state. According to the government, the creation of the 4G telecom network would also be a backbone for rolling out 5G services in the remote regions of the state in near future, therefore, improving the quality of life for citizens and the government’s capacity for service delivery.
