Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) recently installed BTS (Base Transceiver Station) towers at the 9.02-km Atal Tunnel aka Rohtang Tunnel. This means, all the BSNL users with 4G services will get an internet speed of 20-to-25 mbps while crossing the Atal Tunnel. This tunnel is an underpass which connects Lahaul of Lahaul-Spiti district and Manali of Kullu district in Himachal Pradesh.

BSNL highlighted its 4G services at the tunnel when the new route was opened on October 3. The company tweeted about its role in providing 4G services at the tunnel.

BSNL officer Sudershan Kumar recently said the company was asked to provide telecommunication services right from the time when the foundation stone of the Atal Tunnel was laid.

Sanchar Nigam Executives Association (SNEA) also tweeted the same saying, “Atal Tunnel is one of engineering marvels of modern India. Its BSNL which had to provide the best coverage along the Atal Tunnel and we didn’t fail the nation.”

Atal Tunnel is one of engineering marvels of modern India. Its #BSNL which had to provide the best coverage along the Atal Tunnel and we didn’t fail the nation. @CMDBSNL @rsprasad #BSNL4GNow pic.twitter.com/yyUtCkyzPz

— Sanchar Nigam Executives’ Association (@sneachq) September 19, 2020

The Atal Tunnel is said to be the world’s longest highway tunnel and with BSNL successfully installing BTS towers for mobile connectivity, the underpass has been added to one of the tourist spots.

Tellingly, before the construction of the Atal Tunnel, the Lahaul Valley used to remain closed for almost half of the year for any vehicular movement. Atal Tunnel, named after former Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, has now reduced the distance between Manali and Leh by 46-km without any threat posed by bad weather conditions.

Yet, again the connectivity at the tunnel highlights something important: BSNL continues to play a major role in providing connectivity in remote areas of the country. While Airtel, Jio, Vodafone-Idea and others focus on areas where there are more consumers, BSNL often provides connectivity even in areas where only a handful of users may have phone connections. BSNL is behind other companies in offering reliable 4G services in cities and big towns, but in some areas it is the only company providing 3G or 4G services.