Shillong, August 21: Meghalaya has made significant progress in mobile connectivity, with 6,424 of its 7,100 villages now connected to mobile networks, including 6,394 villages with 4G services, according to the latest government data.

The figures, shared by Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development Dr. Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar in a written reply in the Lok Sabha, highlight how the Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN) projects and BharatNet initiative are reshaping connectivity in the North Eastern Region (NER).

Across the region, 42,093 out of 45,934 villages are covered by mobile networks, with 40,663 enjoying 4G access. In Meghalaya, this translates to over 90% coverage—crucial for a state with difficult terrain where connectivity has historically been a challenge.

The minister stated that mobile coverage for any uncovered inhabited villages is provided by Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) based on techno-commercial viability. “Government, through funding from Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN), is implementing various projects/schemes for expansion of telecom connectivity through installation of mobile towers in the rural, remote and border areas of the country, including the NER”, he said.

The DBN projects under the Comprehensive Telecom Development Plan (CTDP) for the NER are for providing mobile connectivity to uncovered villages and areas along National Highways to extend mobile network access to the underserved population in the region. As of June 2025, 2,485 mobile towers have been commissioned under DBN schemes in NER, providing mobile connectivity to 3,389 villages/locations.

Complementing this,  the BharatNet project is being implemented in a phased manner to provide connectivity to all the Gram Panchayats (GPs) for broadband services, such as Wi-Fi Hotspots, Fibre to the Home (FTTH) connections, etc. Further, the Union Cabinet has approved the Amended BharatNet Program for provisioning of connectivity to all GPs in the country in a ring topology, including upgrading the existing network and connectivity to about 3.8 Lakh non-GP villages on a demand basis. As of June 2025, 6,355 GPs have been made service-ready, and 12,283 FTTH connections have been provided under the BharatNet project in NER.

“The telecom connectivity provided under DBN projects has led to equitable access to communications and digital services for education, healthcare, and e-governance in remote and border districts”, the minister said.

Also Read: Meghalaya: Ian Botham K. Sangma inaugurates Cashew Processing Unit at Choto Bollongra village 

Also Watch

Find latest news from every corner of Northeast India at hubnetwork.in, your online source for breaking news, video coverage.

Also, Follow us on-

Twitter-twitter.com/nemediahub

Youtube channel- www.youtube.com/@NortheastMediaHub2020

Instagram- www.instagram.com/ne_media_hub

Download our app from playstore – Northeast Media Hub