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Airtel is the first operator to bring 4G connectivity to the remote island chain
Indian telco Bharti Airtel has launched 4G mobile services in the remote Andaman and Nicobar Islands, bringing twenty first century connectivity to one of India’s most remote destinations.
The move was welcomed by India’s Telecoms Secretary, Aruna Sundararajan, who said that the move was a key step in connecting India’s rural population.
“The launch of 4G services in Andaman and Nicobar Islands is another major milestone towards fulfilling our vision of digitally connected India. I congratulate the team at Airtel for taking the lead in rolling out these services in such remote locations and bringing the benefits of mobile broadband to citizens. We ensure the industry of continued support in their efforts to provide broadband access to every Indian,” she said.
Airtel’s 4G services will initially be rolled out in Port Blair in Southern Andaman and will be extended out to more remote parts of the archipelago. The roll out is part of Airtel’s Project Leap programme, which aims to transform its networks across the subcontinent.
“We are delighted to launch the first 4G service in Andaman and Nicobar and contribute towards building a truly digitally empowered India. Having given the islands its first mobile network in 2005, we now look forward to serving customers with world-class high speed data services and invite them to experience our 4G network. We would also like to thank the DoT and the local administration for their continued support to our endeavour,” said Gopal Vittal, MD & CEO for India and South Asia, at Bharti Airtel.
The secluded Indian islands of Andaman and Nicobar hit the headlines late last year when a US missionary was killed by local tribespeople on North Sentinel island.
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