Work underway to enhance telecom services underway in remote areas of Uttarakhand  

PIONEER NEWS SERVICE | Dehradun 

In an effort to enhance telecom and networking services in border and remote areas, a programme is currently underway in regions including Uttarakhand, according to the finance member of the Digital Communications Commission and ex-officio secretary to the Central government Manish Sinha.

This initiative is expected to foster economic growth in such regions. He provided this information while addressing the media about the revenue review meeting for the Northern Zone (covering seven States) of the Controller of Communication Accounts offices, which was organised under the aegis of the department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications here on Friday.

During the meeting, Sinha said that following reforms initiated in 2021, the telecom sector has seen significant growth. Overall revenue has doubled, reaching nearly Rs four lakh crore at the national level. The meeting served as a review for the northern zone, discussing revenue collection, performance, outcomes and ways to address deficiencies for improvement. He also reported that during FY 2024-25, telecom operators reported an Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) of Rs 3,03,207 crore, with the department of Telecommunications collecting  Rs 25,960 crore as License Fees and Rs 4,270 crore in Spectrum Usage Charges.

Additionally, discussions included scenarios aimed at enhancing the Ease of Doing Business for stakeholders (telecom operators) and hinted at ongoing plans for better exit management available to digital communication stakeholders, he said.

Further, commenting about initiatives to enhance network services in the hilly areas of Uttarakhand, Sinha stated that they aim to provide continuous services in these regions. Despite the challenging mountainous terrain, connectivity has been reported to be good across all areas in the State.

Additionally, controller of communication accounts UP (West) and Uttarakhand Nirdosh Kumar Yadav, emphasised the importance of monitoring financial and documentary compliance with respect to the license agreements held by telecom operators.