India to spend Rs 26,000 crore to set up 25,000 telecom towers in 500 days

The government on Tuesday approved Rs 26000 crore to set up 25,000 towers across the country in the next 500 days.

The announcement was made at the three-day "Digital India Conference of State IT Ministers" which began on October 1 and concluded on Monday.

Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the measure is being taken as connectivity is vital for Digital India and its reach to every corner of the country.

The government is to utilise the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) for the deployment of towers.

Also, the government-owned Special Purpose Vehicle -- Bharat Broadband Network Limited (BBNL) -- will be used to deploy towers.

On October 1, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the 5G telephony services that promise to provide ultra high-speed internet on mobile phones, saying it marks the beginning of a new era and presents an infinite sky of opportunities. The fifth generation or 5G services started with India's No.2 operator Bharti Airtel rolling out out services in eight cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Varanasi and Bengaluru.