SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir has achieved near-universal mobile connectivity in its border areas, with 1,402 of the 1,419 identified border villages now covered by mobile networks, while more than 560 telecom towers have become operational under the Centre’s flagship 4G Saturation Project, officials said on Saturday.
The progress was reviewed at the 11th meeting of the State Broadband Committee (SBC), chaired by Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, which assessed the status of key telecommunications and broadband projects aimed at expanding digital connectivity across remote, rural and border regions of the Union Territory.
The meeting was informed that significant headway has been made under the Government of India’s 4G Saturation Project, designed to provide reliable mobile connectivity to underserved, hilly and strategically important areas. Out of 847 planned mobile tower sites, 566 have already been commissioned, up from 506 operational sites reported during the previous review meeting.
Work on the remaining infrastructure is progressing steadily. Foundations have been completed at 128 locations, towers have been erected at 97 sites and passive infrastructure works have been completed at 82 locations. Work orders have been issued for 775 sites, with BSNL tasked to complete the remaining installations under the current work orders by December 31, 2026.
The project has substantially strengthened communications in border areas. Of the 17 villages that remain outside mobile coverage, 10 have already been included under the ongoing 4G Saturation Scheme and are expected to be connected in the next phase of implementation.
The meeting also reviewed progress under the Border Out Post (BOP) and Border Infrastructure Project (BIP), under which 30 additional sites are being developed to improve communication facilities in sensitive and strategically important areas.
On the power infrastructure front, electricity connectivity has been provided to 647 telecom tower sites, while power meter connections have been installed at 581 locations, ensuring operational readiness of a large number of newly established telecom facilities.
The Committee also reviewed the implementation of the Amended BharatNet Programme, one of the largest rural broadband initiatives in the Union Territory. The programme covers all 285 blocks and 4,299 Gram Panchayats across Jammu and Kashmir.
Officials informed the meeting that physical surveys have been completed in 2,401 Gram Panchayats, while 282 Gram Panchayats have already been commissioned on the State Network Operations Centre (S-NOC) network. Work orders have been approved for 107 blocks covering 1,599 Gram Panchayats, with additional approvals currently under process.
Under the programme, around 744 kilometres of Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) have already been laid. Once completed, BharatNet is expected to provide high-speed broadband access to rural communities, enabling improved delivery of digital governance services, online education, telemedicine, entrepreneurship opportunities and wider participation in the digital economy.
Chairing the meeting, the Chief Secretary directed officials to accelerate the clearance of pending telecom tower sites and ensure that all uncovered habitations are included in the updated list of locations being prepared jointly by the Department of Telecommunications and BSNL.
He emphasized that the objective is to achieve comprehensive mobile and broadband coverage across Jammu and Kashmir, particularly in remote and border regions, and directed departments to closely monitor implementation timelines for tower installation, power connectivity and broadband rollout.
The Chief Secretary also underscored the need to expand Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) services through the BharatNet network so that rural households can directly benefit from high-speed internet connectivity.
He reiterated that robust telecommunications infrastructure is essential for governance, education, healthcare, security, economic development and delivery of citizen services, and called for coordinated efforts to ensure seamless digital connectivity across the Union Territory.
