Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu directed telecom operators to achieve last-mile connectivity, install 2,310 new mobile towers and promote digital literacy across Andhra Pradesh.
Amaravati: Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has directed telecom service providers to strengthen Andhra Pradesh's communication infrastructure by achieving last-mile mobile connectivity and expanding network coverage to the state's remotest villages.
Chairing a review meeting with representatives of major telecom companies at the Camp Office on Monday, the Chief Minister reaffirmed the government's vision of making Andhra Pradesh a model state in digital communication infrastructure.
Naidu instructed telecom operators to improve mobile coverage by installing additional towers and upgrading network infrastructure, particularly in rural and geographically challenging areas. Officials informed the meeting that Andhra Pradesh currently has 30,694 mobile towers, while 2,310 additional towers are required to ensure comprehensive statewide coverage.
IT and Communications Department Secretary Katamaneni Bhaskar presented the current status of the state's telecom network. Responding to the presentation, the Chief Minister assured telecom companies of full government support in facilitating tower installations and asked them to examine the possibility of completing the proposed expansion within 100 days.
He also directed officials to identify all uncovered locations and share the information with telecom operators to enable faster implementation of connectivity projects.
The Chief Minister highlighted that Amaravati is being developed with an advanced fibre-based communication network designed to provide seamless fibre connectivity to every household without repeated road excavations. Officials informed the meeting that Andhra Pradesh currently has 1,69,638 kilometres of optical fibre network and 2.867 million broadband connections.
Naidu also urged telecom companies to partner with the government in promoting digital literacy among mobile users. He said improved digital awareness would enable citizens to make better use of digital public services such as Mana Mitra WhatsApp Governance, the Sanjeevani healthcare platform and other online government services.
The Chief Minister said empowering people with digital skills would pave the way for the delivery of more AI-enabled public services through smartphones. He noted that citizens would soon be able to access innovative services such as an AI Agronomist, AI Doctor and AI Tutor.
He further announced that Kuppam Assembly constituency is being developed as a pilot project with complete mobile network coverage, serving as a model for future digital connectivity initiatives across the state.
