Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that out of these 183 sites are already commissioned and remaining are in process, adding that the Army personnel can talk to their families from their post of duty

The Centre on Monday asserted that satellite-based phones are being provided for connectivity in 1347 far-flung, difficult and border areas of strategic importance for the Indian Army, and Border Security Force (BSF) among others.

The Satellite-based DSPTs (Digital Satellite Phone Terminal) is also being provided for the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), etc.

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that out of these 183 sites are already commissioned and remaining are in process, adding that the Army personnel can talk to their families from their post of duty. "Satellite-based DSPTs (Digital Satellite Phone Terminal) are also being provided at 1347 sites for Army, BRO, BSF, CRPF, ITBP, SSB etc. Out of which 183 sites are already commissioned and remaining are in process," read an official statement. 

The government has been taking measures on priority to provide connectivity in the far-flung areas so as to ensure a better quality of life to the people as well as to those who are working in these areas. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a submarine Optical Fibre Cable of the length of 2300 km between Chennai and Andaman Nicobar at a cost of Rs 1,224 crores.

Elaborating the various projects being implemented by Department of Telecommunications Prasad informed that a tender for 354 uncovered villages in the strategic, remote and border areas of the country has been finalised and is under implementation in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, in 144 villages of Bihar, Rajasthan, Uttrakhand, Himachal Pradesh and other priority areas of Gujarat.

These villages have been strategically chosen to cover border area connectivity on the mobile. After commissioning of these villages, there will be no uncovered villages in UTs of J&K, Ladakh for mobile connectivity.

The Union Minister further told that Department of Telecommunications is also working on providing mobile connectivity in villages of 24 aspirational districts of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh and remaining 44 aspirational districts for 7287 uncovered villages in Chhatisgarh, Odisha, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh will also be covered for which government approval is under submission.