MP Supongmeren urges Centre to address Nagaland’s telecom infrastructure gaps

DIMAPUR — Nagaland Lok Sabha MP S Supongmeren Jamir has urged the Union government to set a definite timeframe for addressing gaps in Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) connectivity and completing pending 4G tower installations in the state.

In a statement issued on Saturday, Jamir said the people of Nagaland deserved actual, uninterrupted and reliable connectivity, adding that merely announcing projects and providing progress figures was not enough.

Jamir’s statement followed a response from Union Minister for Communications and Development of North Eastern Region, Jyotiraditya M Scindia, to a letter he had written on August 4, raising concerns over BSNL connectivity and telecommunications infrastructure in Nagaland.

According to the minister’s letter dated October 14, eight of Nagaland’s 17 district headquarters and 59 of its 75 block headquarters are yet to have Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) connectivity. Only nine district headquarters and 16 block headquarters have been connected so far.

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Under the 4G Saturation Project, BSNL is installing 346 4G towers to cover 458 villages across the state. Of these, 287 towers have been commissioned, providing 4G services to 387 villages.

The minister’s response also stated that Nagaland BSNL has 187 technical staff, including 17 Junior Engineers (JEs), against a sanctioned strength of 10 JEs.

Jamir said reliable telecommunications connectivity was no longer a luxury but an essential public service, particularly for a geographically challenging and predominantly rural state like Nagaland. He noted that connectivity was directly linked to education, healthcare, economic opportunities, banking services, governance and emergency communication.