Rs 3.7K cr project given to Jio, Airtel for 4G services in untapped areas

The government has allocated a project worth Rs 3,683 crore for providing 4G mobile services in uncovered villages of aspirational districts, an official source said on Monday.

Under the project, Bharti Airtel will install 1,083 mobile towers with an expenditure of Rs 847.95 crore in Jharkhand and Maharashtra and Reliance Jio will roll out 3,696 towers for Rs 2,836 crore, the source said.

The project was allocated to the companies in May.

"The project to provide 4G coverage in uncovered villages of aspirational district of five states was approved by the Cabinet last year. Airtel and Jio have been given 18 months to roll out 4G services in the identified villages," the source said.

The project envisages to provide 4G based mobile services in 7,287 uncovered villages of 44 Aspirational Districts across five states of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra & Odisha at an estimated cost of implementation about Rs 6,466 crore including operational expenses for five years.

The project would be funded by Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) and is likely to be completed by November 2023.