Rehan Qayoom Mir
Srinagar, Jun 12 : With a major boost to communication services for Amarnath pilgrims and remote areas of Kashmir valley, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) on Thursday said to have upgraded 67 mobile towers to 4G along the Baltal and Pahalgam routes leading to the holy Amarnath cave.
BSNL, the government-run telecom company, is also expanding its ‘Atma-nirbhar 4G’ network project across remote and uncovered villages of Kashmir, aiming to bridge the digital divide and enhance high-speed internet access in far-flung areas.
Speaking to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Arvind Pandey, General Manager of BSNL, J&K, said the upgraded infrastructure will provide pilgrims with seamless mobile and data services during the Yatra.
He said the connectivity has been strengthened along both axes of Baltal and Pahalgam with 67 upgraded BTS (Base Transceiver Stations) using state-of-the-art 4G technology. “This will ensure better call quality and high-speed internet for yatries,” Pandey said.
He added that SIM cards will be available for pilgrims at Baltal, Pahalgam and the Jammu base camp at Bhagwati Nagar.
The telecom company head also said of doing live-streamed the Pratham Pooja (first prayer) of Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra on June 11, 2025 (yesterday), from the holy cave shrine, enabling devotees across the country to witness the sacred ritual virtually.
“BSNL was the first to provide telecom connectivity at the Holy Cave in 2010. Since then, we have consistently worked to improve services in these challenging terrains,” Pandey said.
He said the Atma-nirbhar 4G project is not only enhancing connectivity for pilgrims but also bringing mobile broadband to underdeveloped and bordering villages in Kashmir that had no previous telecom coverage.
“The goal is to digitally empower businesses, students and individuals in rural areas by offering reliable connectivity that can fuel local development,” Pandey added—(KNO)
