Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently inaugurated 92,633 new 4G sites across India in a virtual ceremony held in Jharsuguda, Odisha. This landmark event extends modern communication to some of the most isolated regions, notably bringing 4G network connectivity to 17 remote villages in Karnataka’s Chamarajanagar district, areas that have never before had access to any telecom services.
While the Prime Minister’s virtual inauguration was broadcast live from Arepalya village in Kollegal taluk, BSNL officials highlighted that this occasion also marked the substantial upgrade of over 100 existing BSNL telecom sites to 4G within the Chamarajanagar district. Crucially, it provided telephone and internet access to 17 ‘network shadow’ villages situated in challenging, often hilly and forested border areas, where residents previously lacked any form of mobile connectivity.
Dignitaries present at the live relay in Arepalya included Kollegal MLA A.R. Krishnamurthy, Chamarajanagar Deputy Commissioner Shilpa Nag, and various BSNL officials, all witnessing this transformative step firsthand.
Deputy Commissioner Shilpa Nag confirmed that local authorities had identified a total of 22 ‘network shadow’ villages in the district entirely without telecom services. She proudly announced that 17 of these have now successfully been brought under BSNL’s 4G Saturation Project, with efforts vigorously continuing to connect the remaining five villages.
Among the notable locations where new BSNL 4G towers were activated ‘On Air’ under this saturation project are Kumbeshvara colony, Muraatipaalya, Sotthanahundi, Nagapatna, Ranganathapura, Yelachatti, Dadadahalli, Bandipura, Halahalli, Naganatta, Dinnahalli, Hoogya, Minnya A. Beat, Gopinatham Beat, Arabigere-75, Gundal A Beat, Boodiguppa, and Arepalya in Kollegal taluk, among others.
A BSNL official explained that although these towers had been operational for about six months, their formal commissioning took place recently. Before this, inhabitants of these regions could not use mobile phones, underscoring the critical impact of the BSNL’s 4G Saturation Project, which is specifically designed to extend high-speed mobile internet to previously underserved areas.
Currently, the installation of 4G saturation towers is still underway at five additional sites, which will soon provide connectivity to Mariyapura, Channur Beat, Saggayam A. Beat, Indiganatha A. Beat, and Bhutaani Podu.
A press release emphasized that bringing 4G towers to challenging locations like Arepalya demonstrates the government’s unwavering commitment to digital inclusion. This enhanced connectivity is expected to significantly empower local residents, facilitate digital education, narrow the urban-rural divide, offer crucial communication during medical emergencies, and unlock new economic opportunities for Arepalya and its neighboring regions.
Across India, BSNL officials noted that Karnataka alone accounts for 600 of the approximately 14,000 saturation sites implemented under the ambitious 4G Saturation Project.