What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
NEW DELHI: Airtel is fully prepared to challenge China’s influence in India’s northeastern region by extending its network to remote areas and pushing back China’s presence in Indian territory.
During the Indian Space Conclave 2023, The New Indian had a conversation with Chief Regulatory Officer Rahul Vatts, who revealed Airtel’s upcoming initiatives. These involve extending network coverage to the remote villages of Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, the Naxal-affected region of Gadchiroli in Maharashtra, and other challenging areas. He also mentioned that Airtel already provides service to approximately 96 to 98 per cent of the population.
“Airtel is already covering nearly 96 to 98 per cent of the entire addressable population in the country so we are present everywhere. However, India is a large country and there are some very difficult terrains particularly in the mountainous regions of Northeast, where there are hills and there are challenges so reaching the signal out there becomes a challenge.
“Also, the population sometimes is very sparse. You have villages which have got let’s say five people or just 50 people. So, how do we reach there? Thankfully in addition to whatever initiatives we have taken, the government has come up with the USO (Universal Service Obligation) projects. We are active participants in these projects in Northeast states such as Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, and also in some tough terrains in areas like Gadchiroli in Maharashtra and in Jharkhand,” he remarked.
The USO project is under the Telecom Technology development fund that is supposed to push forward indigenous technologies.
At the outset of the second day of the conclave hosted by the Indian Space Association, the Minister of State for Telecommunications, Divusinh Chauhan, recounted a time when residents of Arunachal Pradesh had to rely on China’s network for radio signals. Through the telecom giant’s ambitious project, India will effectively counter the efforts of China and other nations that seek to gain a foothold in the northeastern region.
“So, through the USO projects we are trying to reach the last of the villages to be able to set up our tower and to give 4 G-type services in most of these areas here. We are really enthusiastic by the response we are getting for these services and we are working with the government to see how we deeper penetrate these areas going ahead in the future,” the CRO said.
Chauhan also hailed the Centre and PM Modi for their hard work and vision to take India to new heights in the communication sector.
