Telecom service provider Bharti Airtel will invest more than Rs 4,000 crore in Punjab, India, over the next five years.
India’s # telecom operator is aiming to expand its mobile, LTE and enterprise services and contribute to Punjab Government’s digital inclusion agenda.
Airtel, which launched Punjab’s first 4G LTE services in Chandigarh Tri-City in March 2013, will lay an additional 10,000 km of optic fiber across Punjab and expand its 4G footprint to cover most of the state’s population over the next few years.
This will provide a major boost to growth of broadband services in rural areas and enable delivery of services such e-governance, e-education, e-health and much more.
Bharti Enterprises chairman Sunil Mittal said the telecom operator will invest in its 2G operations, wire-line, DSL broadband, DTH services, m-commerce services offering in the state.
It will expand its enterprise Services offerings that provide technology solutions to enterprises and SMEs.
Airtel has more than 7.2 million customers in Punjab. Till date, it has invested over Rs 4,800 crore in its operations in the state and its mobile network covers all 162 towns and 12,750 villages, reaching 94 percent of the population. Its distribution network across Punjab spans 50,000 retailers and its operations provide direct and indirect employment opportunities to over 65,000 people across the State.
