GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday, February 25, urged the Centre to introduce legislative changes that would enable telecom services in over 4,000 forest villages across the state. He said this during the ongoing Advantage Assam 2.0 Summit held in Guwahati to attract foreign investment in the state.
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Sarma highlighted in detail how existing restrictions have deprived these villages of mobile connectivity, a crucial necessity in today’s digital era. "If the Centre enacts a law to provide mobile connectivity to forest villages, they will also be digitally connected, unlocking new opportunities for development," he said, addressing Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia.
The chief minister also emphasised the increasing demand for high-speed data, particularly in light of the recent announcements by Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani and HDFC regarding the establishment of AI-enabled data centres in Assam. He stated that with BPOs shifting from tier-I cities to tier-II and III cities, districts such as Guwahati, Dibrugarh, and Jorhat will soon witness a surge in BPO investments, necessitating reliable high-speed data infrastructure.
To address this, Sarma further proposed a game-changing initiative; bringing optical fibre connectivity from the Bay of Bengal through the Brahmaputra River. He urged the Centre to study its feasibility, stating that such an initiative would significantly enhance digital infrastructure in Assam.
Furthermore, the chief minister also highlighted Assam’s ambitious plan to connect 25,250 villages with optical fibre, benefiting farmers and rural entrepreneurs. He sought Scindia’s assistance to ensure the project’s timely completion, reinforcing the state’s commitment to digital empowerment.