Dimapur, September 30: In a significant boost to digital inclusion in the Northeast, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) NE-II Circle announced that it has successfully connected 783 villages across Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, and Manipur through its indigenous 4G network rollout. The update was shared at a press conference held on September 26 at the BSNL Conference Hall in Dimapur.
Out of 1,969 planned sites under the NE-II Circle, 1,238 are part of the 4G Saturation Project, while 731 existing 2G/3G sites are being upgraded. So far, 243 towers in Arunachal Pradesh cover 503 villages, 36 towers in Manipur connect 50 villages, and 190 towers in Nagaland provide coverage to 230 villages. Many of these sites are solar-powered, making it India’s largest cluster of green telecom towers.
The initiative is part of the Prime Minister’s national rollout of 97,500 4G towers at a cost of Rs 37,000 crore using swadeshi technology. Within this, 18,900 sites under the Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN) scheme aim to connect 26,700 previously unconnected villages, benefitting over 2 million new subscribers.
N Murali, Chief General Manager of BSNL NE-II Circle, said the project seeks to bridge the rural-urban digital divide by extending reliable connectivity to remote, high-altitude, and low-revenue regions. He also highlighted India’s global breakthrough, noting that the indigenous 4G/5G-ready core positions the country among the five nations worldwide capable of building and deploying a complete mobile network stack.
BSNL’s financial performance in the NE-II Circle has also improved, with revenues rising 5.5% year-on-year to Rs 171 crore in FY 2025–26 from Rs 162 crore in FY 2024–25. An EBITDA turnaround of Rs 30.67 crore reflects strong cost discipline, asset monetisation, and growth in enterprise and FTTH services.
The event saw Omega R Marak, PGM (HR & Admin & CM & SM) deliver the welcome address, Dilip Siram, PGM (CFA & EB) present the briefing, and Mukesh Meena, GM (BN) propose the vote of thanks.
Officials underlined that BSNL, now marking its Silver Jubilee year, is emerging stronger as India’s own telecom giant by delivering pan-India 4G services with fully indigenous technology, laying the groundwork for future 5G expansion.
