Over 90% of Northeast India villages lack 5G

Most villages in India's Northeast region lack 5G connectivity, according to government data presented in Parliament. Despite the rollout of 5G in urban areas and most districts, over 90% of villages still do not have access to this advanced network. In Assam, there are 26,395 villages, but only 1,757 have received 5G Base Transceiver Stations (BTSs). Even though Assam has deployment in all 35 of its districts, many rural areas remain disconnected. The situation is similar in other Northeastern states. In Arunachal Pradesh, 27 out of 28 districts have 5G coverage, but only 108 of approximately 5,587 villages have access. In Nagaland, 16 districts have coverage, yet just 114 out of 1,428 villages are connected. Manipur has 5G in 14 districts, but only 214 of its 2,582 villages receive the service. Mizoram and Tripura also show a digital divide. Mizoram has full district coverage, yet only 45 out of 852 villages have 5G. In Tripura, all eight districts are covered, but just 108 villages are connected. The minister of state for communications and rural development, Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, stated that 5G services were introduced in October 2022. Currently, the service is available in 99.6% of districts across the country, but the rural-urban divide remains stark.