Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways and Civil Aviation General (Retired) Dr VK Singh said today that the telecommunications network is being used in a big way along the national highways in order to provide services better for road users. Emphasizing the telecom department’s findings and their impact on all other ministries and departments at a press conference in New Delhi, he said MoRTH is coordinating with the telecom department to ensure there is an uninterrupted mobile phone network along the national highways.
The minister said, “An initiative is underway to expand 4G coverage in open villages by installing mobile towers to ensure 4G services reach every corner of the country. This will directly benefit our road network, enabling us to effectively prevent accidents and mishaps.”
Dr Singh said, “In India, the expansion of the 5G network is progressing rapidly. Around 1 lakh of sites have been completed in 5 months, followed by 2 lakh in 8 months and 3 lakh in 10 months which will greatly benefit our road network.” He said, “In addition, we are building the satellite and camera-based toll system. A pilot project is underway to implement barrier-free toll, using satellite technology, on the Delhi-Meerut Express. We are also working to improve the fiber optic network.”
Dr Singh told tThe total outlay for mobile tower projects is more than Rs 43,868 Crore. He said 5G has been rolled out in 631 districts. The Minister also spoke about the BSNL recovery package.
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MJPS/NKS
