Andhra Pradesh to provide land and power subsidies for 100% mobile coverage

The Andhra Pradesh government has launched an initiative to achieve 100% mobile connectivity across the state, specifically targeting rural, remote, and commercially unviable areas. To encourage telecom operators to expand into these low-density regions, the state will provide government land for mobile towers without charging rent.

Additionally, the government will provide subsidized power to newly commissioned towers until they reach a commercial break-even point. This benchmark is set at approximately 450 subscribers per tower. Once this threshold is crossed, subsidies will be withdrawn and standard electricity tariffs will apply. The support framework will be reviewed every three years to reassess commercial viability.

The plan, operationalized through the Information Technology, Electronics & Communications Department, also includes provisions for Intra-Circle Roaming (ICR) to improve infrastructure efficiency. Major operators, including BSNL, Airtel, Reliance Jio, and Vodafone Idea, are expected to participate in the rollout to improve access to digital services such as healthcare, education, and banking.