HP, BSNL ink pact for laying optical fibre to provide 4G in remote areas

The Himachal Pradesh government has signed an agreement with BSNL for laying the optical fibre cable to provide 4G coverage in unconnected (remote and far-flung) areas of the state.

A spokesperson of the state government informed on Friday that a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed by Department of Information Technology Director Mukesh Repaswal and BSNL-HP Principal General Manager Charan Singh in the presence of BSNL-HP Chief General Manager JS Sahota.

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 state government had proposed a project to the Centre for the provision of connectivity in the un-connected villages of the state and had received Rs 50 crore for the same. Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (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, said the spokesperson.

He further informed that the project is expected to be completed by December 2023 and will entail installing of around 500 KMs of the optical fibre along with mobile towers for expansion of connectivity in the state.

Reliable connectivity will help in the expansion of digital initiatives in health, education and other fields, besides providing valuable services to the people of the state.

Further, 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, he added.