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Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Wednesday that India will connect as many as 25,000 villages without telecom and mobile internet by mid-2025, achieving full “saturation” across the country. Speaking at the 51st National Management Convention of the All India Management Association, Scindia revealed that state-run BSNL will roll out its 4G network with 100,000 new telecom towers by mid-2024. Despite 450,000 towers already installed nationwide, some villages remain unconnected.

Scindia stated that the government has committed to erecting close to 20,000 additional towers, with a budget allocation of ₹45,000 crore for this initiative. He emphasised that the northeast region has the largest number of unconnected villages, around 6,000, of which about half have already been connected. Scindia, who also oversees the Ministry for the Development of North Eastern Region, outlined the government’s three key objectives: expanding connectivity, boosting indigenous telecom production, and fostering new technologies.

The Telecom Minister also highlighted India’s growing role in mobile phone production through the Bharat 6G Alliance, aiming for the country to hold 10% of international patents in the telecom sector. However, India has faced challenges in meeting previous deadlines for telecom connectivity. In July 2019, then-telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad set a one-year target to connect 43,000 villages lacking basic telephony services. More recently, in April 2023, then-Minister of State for Telecom Devusinh Chauhan said 38,000 villages without 4G would be covered by 2024.

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BSNL’s 4G rollout has been delayed, leaving villages in remote areas still waiting for connectivity. Private telecom providers such as Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea launched their 4G services years ago. Missed deadlines, including those set for December 2023 and June 2024, continue to challenge BSNL’s expansion efforts.

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