3,615 panchayats to get high-speed broadband services

The Telecom Department will provide high-speed broadband connectivity to 3,615 gram panchayats and Internet access to 15,538 villages through optical fiber.

Additional Director General of Telecommunications Anil Kumar Gupta, while addressing mediapersons here, said that under the Bharat Net plan, 3,615 gram panchayats would be provided with high-speed broadband connectivity through optical fiber. “This facility will enable online education, better health services, employment, business and e-government services in rural areas. There are plans to provide Internet access to 15,538 villages through optical fiber,” he added.

Gupta said that the Central Government was spending Rs 500 crore under the 4G Saturation Plan to provide high-speed telecom and broadband connectivity in the remote areas of Himachal Pradesh. Around 498 locations had been connected under the plan, he added.

Gupta said that during the monsoon season this year, heavy rain, cloudbursts, flashfloods and landslides had severely disrupted telecommunication networks in Chamba, Kullu, Lahaul-Spiti and the Thunag area of Mandi district, causing difficulties to citizens in accessing communication services.

“Under these challenging circumstances, the department activated the Intra-Circle Roaming (ICR) service at Thunag in Mandi district on July 2, 2025, in Chamba city and Bharmour subdivision on August 25 and in Chamba, Kullu and Lahaul-Spiti districts on August 27 to allow users to access the networks of other operators within the same circle when their telecom operator’s network is unavailable,” he added.

He said that the ICR ensured uninterrupted calls, SMSes and data services to citizens in the affected areas, in collaboration with the local administration and service providers that also assisted in relief operations.

He added that the Department of Telecommunication was also taking several steps to protect people from cyber fraud and had directed all banks to integrate Financial Risk Indicators (FRIs) into their systems to strengthen cyber fraud prevention.