Vihaan Networks bags North East connectivity project of BSNL

New Delhi [India], Apr 27 (ANI): Indigenous telecom equipment manufacturer Vihaan Network Limited (VNL) bagged Rs. 1648 crore telecom infrastructure project of state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd for providing connectivity in over 4000 villages in remote areas of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam. This project is part of the Rs. 5,336.18 crore worth comprehensive telecom development plan for the North-Eastern Region (NER) comprising eight states which was approved by the Union Cabinet in September 2014. The project envisages providing mobile coverage in 8,621 unconnected villages and seamless coverage along National Highways in the North-East region through 6,673 towers, and will be funded from the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF). VNL, India's leading telecommunication enabler with recognised expertise in indigenously developing end-to-end telecom infrastructure products and solutions has been given the responsibility of creating the infrastructure across bordering state of Arunachal Pradesh while the other partner will execute the project in two districts (Karbi Anglong and Dima Haso) of Assam. Under Phase-I of the project, which is to be executed by state owned operator BSNL, 2817 sites are to be installed to cover 4118 remotely located villages and tough terrains in Arunachal Pradesh and two districts of Assam. Projects are to be executed solely through indigenous technology. As per the project condition, VNL will roll out around 1,893 mobile towers in Arunachal Pradesh. "Today, such a concerted move will also fulfill the government's vision of Make in India and bring in significant indigenisation which is the need of the hour. We hope that with the successful completion of this project, the North East states will be seamlessly connected with other parts of the country through mobile coverage," said Rajiv Mehrotra, Chairman, Vihaan Networks. As part of the project, eco-friendly green Mobile towers will be erected by VNL using its own technology and will be fuelled by solar power. VNL had also completed successfully a BSNL project last year for creating infrastructure in LWE areas after it bagged the contract as the lowest bidder in December last year for providing voice and data connectivity in the most challenging terrain. The Union cabinet then chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi had had approved the installation and maintainence of 2,199 mobile towers in Naxal-affected states. Funding came through the USOF supported scheme. (ANI)