2,076 indigenous BSNL 4G towers installed in UT; network is 5G-upgradable
Srinagar: The Centre on Thursday informed the Rajya Sabha that 295 Gram Panchayats (GPs) in Jammu and Kashmir have been upgraded under the Amended BharatNet Programme (ABP), with 930 km of optical fibre cable laid in the Union Territory as of June 30, 2026.
Replying to an unstarred question by Rajya Sabha MP Sat Paul Sharma, Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development Dr. Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar said the Union Government had approved the Amended BharatNet Programme on August 4, 2023, for the creation and upgradation of broadband infrastructure in 2.65 lakh Gram Panchayats across the country using ring topology, including 4,299 Gram Panchayats in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Minister said that, as of June 30, 2026, 930 km of optical fibre cable had been laid and 295 Gram Panchayats in J&K had been upgraded under the programme, aimed at strengthening rural broadband connectivity.
Providing details of the BharatNet rollout, the Minister said that under BharatNet Phases I and II, a cumulative 6.95 lakh km of optical fibre cable has been laid across the country, connecting 2.15 lakh Gram Panchayats with broadband infrastructure.
On the deployment of indigenous telecom technology, the Minister informed the House that under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is rolling out indigenous 4G mobile services, with equipment that is technologically upgradable to 5G.
As of June 30, 2026, 97,013 indigenous technology-based 4G Base Transceiver Stations (BTSs) had been installed across the country, including 2,076 BTSs in Jammu and Kashmir, the Minister said.
The Centre said the BharatNet expansion and deployment of indigenous telecom infrastructure are aimed at improving digital connectivity, expanding broadband access in rural areas and strengthening the country’s self-reliant telecom ecosystem.
