AP CM Naidu Seeks Connectivity to Every Last Mile
Naidu said the government would extend all necessary support to telecom operators to accelerate network expansion.
Vijayawada: Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday said Andhra Pradesh aims to emerge as a model state in communication infrastructure by ensuring seamless connectivity even in the most remote rural areas.
He stressed that achieving “last-mile connectivity” remained the government’s primary objective and directed telecom service providers to further strengthen the state’s communication network.
Reviewing the status of telecom infrastructure at his camp office with senior officials and representatives of major service providers, the CM called for special attention to mobile coverage gaps and instructed companies to expedite the installation of cell towers in underserved regions.
He said the government would extend all necessary support to telecom operators to accelerate network expansion.
IT and communications secretary Katamaneni Bhaskar informed the meeting that AP currently has 30,694 cell towers and requires another 2,310 towers to achieve broader coverage. Responding to the update, Naidu asked officials and operators to examine the possibility of completing the proposed installations within 100 days and assured them that the government would provide details of the geographically uncovered areas.
The chief minister also highlighted the ongoing fibre-based communication network being developed in the capital city of Amaravati. He said every household would be connected through fibre infrastructure without the need for repeated road excavations.
Officials stated that the state currently has a fibre-optic network spanning 1,69,638km and 28.67 lakh broadband connections.
Naidu urged telecom operators to support digital literacy initiatives among mobile users. He said greater digital awareness would help citizens effectively utilise services offered through the government’s Mana Mitra WhatsApp Governance platform, the Sanjeevani scheme and other citizen-service touch-points.
He noted that a digitally literate population would enable wider delivery of public services through mobile phones and pave the way for future AI-powered services such as AI Agronomist, AI Doctor and AI Tutor.
The CM also announced that full mobile coverage is being provided on a pilot basis across all areas of Kuppam constituency. Representatives from the Department of Telecommunications, BSNL, Airtel, Jio and Vodafone Idea attended the review meeting.