India
pti-PTI
The Andhra Pradesh government has decided to extend targeted support for the establishment of mobile towers in rural, remote and commercially unviable areas, aimed at achieving 100 per cent mobile connectivity across the state.
The Andhra Pradesh government will provide government land free of rent and subsidised power to establish mobile towers in rural, remote, and unviable areas, aiming to achieve 100% mobile connectivity across the state by addressing viability gaps.
The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet has decided to provide suitable government land without rental charges and subsidised power supply for new mobile towers in uncovered villages and habitations, with the objective of bridging the viability gap that has constrained telecom expansion in such areas, an official release said on Saturday.
“In a major push to achieve 100 per cent mobile connectivity across Andhra Pradesh, the state government has decided to extend targeted support for the establishment of mobile towers in rural, remote and commercially unviable areas,” it said. The government has identified universal mobile connectivity as a key component of its broader vision for inclusive digital development and seamless access to citizen services.
Despite the substantial telecom network already established in the state, some rural and remote habitations continue to remain outside reliable mobile coverage because of the limited commercial viability of setting up infrastructure in low-density areas.
Telecom service providers had represented to the government that expansion into these uncovered locations would require support, particularly in the initial years, to offset the cost of land and power.
Under the Cabinet-approved framework, suitable government land will be made available without rental charges while newly established towers will receive subsidised power supply until they become operationally viable, the release said. Based on prevailing rural Average Revenue Per User (ARPU), the government has estimated the operational break-even threshold at approximately 450 subscribers per tower. Once this threshold is reached, the subsidy will cease and the applicable electricity tariff will be levied.
“The support will also be reviewed every three years. Where subscriber numbers have increased and the infrastructure has become commercially viable, the government will reassess the continuation of the assistance,” the release said.
Participating telecom operators will be required to establish the necessary mobile towers and associated infrastructure within prescribed timelines. The initiative also provides for Intra-Circle Roaming (ICR) facilities to enable seamless connectivity across telecom networks and ensure efficient utilisation of infrastructure, particularly in locations where multiple standalone networks may not be commercially viable.
The government expects the model to enable faster expansion into uncovered villages and habitations and provide a scalable pathway towards 100 per cent mobile connectivity across Andhra Pradesh. Telecom service providers — BSNL, Airtel, Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea are part of the implementation framework.
The initiative is expected to significantly improve digital access in remote areas and expand citizens’ ability to access digital governance, education, healthcare, financial services and other online services, the release added.
