Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio have been awarded a Rs. 3,683 crore project by the Indian government.
Both telcos are expected to install over 4,779 4G mobile towers across Indian villages as part of this project.
While some Indians in urban areas anticipate a 5G rollout in the coming years, those in rural areas are still hoping for a proper 4G connection on their phones.Although 4G services are now available in most parts of the country, some areas remain unserviced.As a result, the government has sanctioned over Rs. 3,683 crore to private telecom players such as Airtel and Jio to provide 4G mobile services to the country’s unconnected villages.
The government has assigned a Rs. 3,683 crore project to Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio.
According to reports, a project to install 4G mobile towers in several villages across India has been approved.
Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio have both agreed to participate in the project.Two of these telecom behemoths will be required to build mobile towers in 44 districts across five states: Maharastra, Jharkhand, Odisha, Andra Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh.
Bharti Airtel will build 1,083 mobile towers in Maharastra and Jharkhand at a cost of Rs. 847.95 crore.
Reliance Jio, on the other hand, plans to build 3,696 towers in other areas at a cost of Rs. 2,836 crore.
The cost of installing the mobile towers will be Rs. 3,683 crore.
Both telcos have been given an 18-month window to provide 4G services in the aforementioned areas.
Last year, these uncovered areas were identified and approved.Both telcos are now expected to begin work on mobile tower installation.
Despite the fact that only five states and 44 districts will be covered, over 7,287 previously unconnected villages are expected to receive 4G services in the coming months.The project’s total estimated implementation cost is approximately Rs. 6,466 crore, which includes all operational expenses for five years.
The project is being funded by the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) and is scheduled to be completed in November 2023.
In related news, Reliance Jio and Airtel conducted 5G trials in India recently.The 5G mobile services are expected to be available by the end of 2022.The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) announced that 5G services will be available in 13 cities throughout India.Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, Bengaluru, and other cities are among them.
Found this article interesting? Follow BG on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to read more exclusive content we post.
