Tower Thefts, Delays Slow BSNL 4G Expansion In State; 479 Sites Await Approval

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The rollout of BSNL's 4G network in Madhya Pradesh continues to face multiple hurdles, with 479 proposed sites still awaiting approvals and repeated incidents of mobile tower theft disrupting telecom infrastructure across the state.

A review meeting directed district administrations to expedite approvals for the remaining BSNL 4G sites and ensure that all pending Right of Way (RoW) applications submitted till March 31, 2026, are cleared without delay.

It also called for police assistance in registering FIRs and taking action in cases of theft and deliberate damage to telecom towers and cables.

These thefts disrupt telecom services, cause network outages, delay new network rollouts such as BSNL 4G, and lead to significant repair costs.

According to official data, the growing problem of telecom infrastructure theft has emerged as a major hurdle in the expansion of the network.

Gwalior reported the highest number of theft cases (38), followed by Morena (22), Rewa (20), Guna (19) and Indore (17).

Several other districts have also reported thefts, raising concerns over disruption of telecom services and delays in network expansion.

Shivpuri was identified as having the highest number of pending Right of Way applications under the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) scheme.

Chhindwara tops planned BSNL 4G sites

Among the districts, Chhindwara has the highest number of planned BSNL 4G sites (197), followed by Mandla (33), Anuppur (29), Khargone (26) and Alirajpur (24). Other districts together account for another 170 proposed sites under the saturation project.