Our security forces can now better coordinate against Maoist attacks and normal people in this area for the first time are getting a reliable communication channel.
The government telecom operator Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has installed around 2199 mobile towers in Naxal-affected regions across ten states in India. The telecom connectivity is now available in 12,700 villages across 106 districts in these ten states. Around 39 lakh mobile subscribers are already actively using the network.
The Project was first started in the year 2013 by the Home Ministry along with Department of Telecom (DoT) to combat insurgency in the Naxal-hit areas across ten states. It was then implemented by BSNL with the help of local vendors Vihaan Networks Ltd (VNL) and HFCL.
“We had time until December 2016 to complete the project but all the 2,199 solar powered mobile towers have been installed and they are operational. This project sets an example for excellent coordination between government and private agencies,” said Anupam Shrivastava, BSNL Chairman and MD.
Earlier when BSNL floated a tender for this project, where many big telecom infrastructure players didn’t participate in it. But our domestic vendors Vihaan Networks Ltd (VNL) and HFCL have actively bid for it, and only with their help, the project was completed in time.
- Installed 2,199 mobile towers in Naxal-affected regions.
- Covered 12,700 villages across 106 districts.
- Constructed by BSNL with local vendors Vihaan Networks Ltd (VNL) and HFCL.
- It includes world’s largest solar telecom tower installation in the most hostile terrain of the country, with practically no roads, power or security.
These 106 districts which are severely Naxal-affected are spread across ten states, which include Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.