Parliament Question: High-speed Mobile Connectivity in Remote/Border Villages of Ladakh

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4014 ANSWERED ON 12TH AUGUST, 2026 HIGH-SPEED MOBILE CONNECTIVITY IN REMOTE/BORDER VILLAGES OF LADAKH 4014. SHRI MOHMAD HANEEFA: WILL the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government is aware that despite installation of BSNL 4G infrastructure, 4G services are reportedly not functioning on 4G-compatible handsets in several villages of Kargil district including Shimsha, Yorbaltak, Apati, Tumail, Kharbo, Holiyal, Chechasna, Wakha Gyal, Tsaraks, Brok Lungma and Heniskote and if so, the details thereof; (b) the reasons for the continued non-functionality of 4G services in these villages despite commissioning of the infrastructure; (c) whether the Government has conducted any technical inspection or audit to identify and rectify the fault and if so, the details thereof; (d) the timeline for restoring fully functional 4G services in these villages; and (e) the steps taken/being taken to ensure reliable high-speed mobile connectivity in remote and border villages of Ladakh? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (DR. PEMMASANI CHANDRA SEKHAR) (a) to (d) At Kargil district including Shimsha, Yorbaltak, Apati, Tumail, Kharbo, Holiyal, Chechasna, Wakha Gyal, Tsaraks, Brok Lungma and Heniskote, BSNL provides coverage by 4G eNodeB of 700 MHz frequency Band. 4G services of BSNL are functioning well in this area on the handsets compatible with 700 MHz frequency band. (e) As on 30.6.2026, 277 towers covering 370 villages/locations, have been made on-air under different mobile connectivity projects funded from Digital Bharat Nidhi in Union Territory of Ladakh. *****