The Odisha government has set December as the deadline for removing road-access barriers to mobile towers, seeking to accelerate mobile and broadband expansion in uncovered, poorly connected and border areas across the state.
The directive was issued at the eighth State Broadband Committee meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Anu Garg at the state secretariat recently, according to Odisha Post. The meeting reviewed the expansion of mobile and high-capacity broadband connectivity in areas with weak or no network coverage.
Garg directed the Department of Telecommunications, cellular operators and broadband service providers to identify connectivity gaps and ensure that they are resolved within stipulated timelines. The road-access issues affecting mobile towers are expected to be addressed by December.
The committee will also examine complaints received from MPs, MLAs and district authorities regarding poor or unavailable mobile services. Corrective measures are to be taken after the connectivity gaps and access-related constraints are identified.
The review covered progress under 4G saturation projects financed through the Digital Bharat Nidhi, along with connectivity initiatives in Aspirational Districts and areas affected by Left-Wing Extremism. These programmes are intended to extend mobile and broadband services to locations where network availability remains weak or absent.
The decision places road access among the immediate administrative issues affecting network expansion. Even where tower infrastructure is planned or available, difficulties in reaching sites can delay installation, maintenance and service improvement. The state’s directive brings the Department of Telecommunications, private cellular operators, broadband providers and district authorities into the process of identifying and resolving those constraints.
The committee’s next operational milestone is the December deadline for removing the reported access hurdles. The state government is also expected to review complaints and connectivity gaps through the participating departments, operators and district-level authorities.
