Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, on Thursday, said 5G services would be launched in Odisha before the Republic Day celebrations next year. Speaking at a foundation stone laying ceremony for the redevelopment of the Bhubaneswar railway station, he also revealed that the central government has approved Rs 5,600 crore for telecom services in the eastern state this fiscal year.
The state has also been allocated around Rs 10,000 crore in the budget for railway infrastructure development in 2022-23, Vaishnaw said. He also claimed that the Centre has raised the allocation for railways in Odisha to Rs 10,000 crore per annum from only Rs 800 crore during the UPA regime. Now, no one can make an allegation that the Centre is neglecting Odisha’s telecom sector," the minister of railways, communications, electronics and information technology, stated in an apparent reference to the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in the state.
The Modi government has sanctioned a total of Rs 5,600 crore for telecom services in Odisha in 2022-23 fiscal, and 5G services will be launched in the state before the Republic Day celebrations on January 26, 2023,” he added. "The Modi government has sanctioned a total of Rs 5,600 crore for telecom services in Odisha in 2022-23 fiscal, and 5G services will be launched in the state before the Republic Day celebrations on January 26, 2023,” he said.The minister further said a survey was recently conducted in all villages of Odisha where mobile towers are not available. According to Vaishnaw, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had directed officials to ensure high-quality 4G and 5G services in all villages. Earlier in October, Vaishnaw said that 5G services would be available in at least four cities of Odisha by March 2023, and 80% area of the state will have access to the upgraded network by the end of the next year.