Centre allocates Rs 26,000 crore for installing 25,000 telecom towers

Funds worth Rs 26,000 crore have been allotted to install 25,000 telecom towers in the next 500 days, said the government on Tuesday.

The amount will be spent from the department of telecommunication’s (DoT’s) universal service obligation fund (USOF) and state-owned company BSNL will install the towers.

The funding was announced at the three-day conference of state information technology ministers on the sidelines of the India Mobile Congress (IMC) in Delhi.

Union telecom minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the funds will ensure telecom connectivity across the country.

“He (The minister) congratulated all States and UTs for their speedy onboarding at . He also shared that the special assistance to States for capital expenditure worth Rs 2000 crore has been supported. He encouraged the States to be proactive and make business-friendly policies to attract businesses in their States,” said in a press release, referring to the government’s mega logistics project.

Gati Shakti will align 16 ministries, including railways and roadways, for integrated planning and coordinated implementation of infrastructure projects.

The government created the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) in December 2003 after making an amendment to the Telegraph Act. The aim was to provide telecom services in rural and inaccessible areas, as there was a lack of a market mechanism to serve these areas due to lower revenue and lack of commercial activity. Now the fund would be utilised for speedy installation of tower networks across the country.

During the October 1-3 conference, Alkesh Kumar Sharma, secretary of the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) suggested the States and UTs align their policies in sync with the centre’s. He said states and UTs should leverage the centre’s latest initiatives of for improving citizen- and business-centric services.

State IT ministers discussed issues such as online gaming, pornography, and the impact of social media on institutions. Vaishnaw requested them to hold consultations over these issues.