Says BharatNet expansion underway
Srinagar, Jul 29: The Government of India (GoI) on Wednesday informed the Lok Sabha that a majority of villages in the hilly Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh have been covered with mobile and 4G connectivity, while the BharatNet programme continues to expand high-speed broadband infrastructure in remote and difficult terrains.
The information was provided by Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development, Dr Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, in a written reply to Lok Sabha raised by Shri Manickam Tagore B regarding internet services in hilly and high-altitude areas.
Replying to the query, the minister, as reported by the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), said that as of May 2026, 87,485 of the 89,959 villages located in predominantly hilly States and Union Territories have mobile coverage, while 86,538 villages have access to 4G connectivity.
For Jammu & Kashmir, the government said that out of 6,474 villages, 6,228 villages have mobile network coverage and 6,210 villages are connected with 4G services. In Ladakh, 233 of 243 villages have mobile connectivity, while 229 villages have access to 4G services.
The GoI said mobile connectivity in uncovered areas is being provided by Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) based on techno-commercial viability. However, to improve connectivity in rural and remote regions, the Government is implementing various Digital Bharat Nidhi-funded schemes for installation of 4G mobile towers.
The minister further informed Parliament that the BharatNet project has been approved to provide high-speed fibre broadband connectivity to all Gram Panchayats and villages on demand. As of June 30, 2026, 2,15,250 Gram Panchayats had been connected under BharatNet Phase-I and Phase-II, while another 13,494 Gram Panchayats have been connected and upgraded under the Amended BharatNet Programme.
The reply came in response to questions on internet connectivity gaps in hilly and high-altitude regions, the status of BharatNet implementation, communication infrastructure in border areas and measures to improve telecom services in difficult terrains. (KNO)
