India’s largest telecom service provider, Bharti Airtel will install more than 2000 towers in North East India to cover over 2100 north-eastern villages. The operator has signed an agreement with the Department of Telecom (DoT) and the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF), Government of India for the cause.
Thanks to this agreement, Airtel will start work on providing mobile services in deep rural areas that are mostly uncovered villages and national highways in the Northeastern States of Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh. The telecom connectivity will also uplift the development in the region.
What’s the agreement?
Under the agreement with DoT and USOF, Airtel will set up over 2000 mobile towers in uncovered remote areas of the region. The towers will deliver network connectivity to over 2100 villages along important National Highways in the region. The deployment is expected to be complete in the next 18 months. Airtel is receiving approx. Rs. 1,610 crores from the USOF for the whole project.
Airtel with its infrastructure will also enable other telecom service providers to offer services in the region as well. Airtel is already the largest mobile operator in the Northeastern States and with this new installment, it will be providing a major boost to telecom connectivity in the region with tough terrain.
Thus, with the help of such infrastructure, telecom connectivity in the region will add to the economic development. Currently, Airtel is the only operator to offer 2G/3G/4G services in the Northeast states. It has already made significant investments to expand service availability here.
Commenting on the agreement, Ajai Puri, COO (India & South Asia), Bharti Airtel said,
“Airtel has been leading the expansion of telecom services in North East India and as the largest operator in these markets, we have gained a deep understanding of the region. This project will provide a massive boost to telecom connectivity in these areas and truly connect them with the rest of India and the world. Customers in these areas can look forward to affordable world-class mobile services very soon.”
