In an age where humans are preparing to settle in outer space, many villages in Odisha still remain without mobile network connectivity. This harsh reality continues to deprive rural communities of access to vital services, digital communication, and timely information.

The Central government has initiated efforts to bring mobile networks to these underserved areas. Villages like Jamajuri in Bolangir district and those in Kankadahad block of Dhenkanal district are examples where making a simple phone call are a challenge.

Residents are often seen climbing tall trees for a single signal bar, while school teachers sit under the trees trying to link Aadhaar data, and farmers miss out on daily market prices. Emergency help can take hours, if it arrives at all.

Despite high-speed internet and smart devices becoming common in cities and towns, over 1,900 villages in Odisha remain completely outside mobile network coverage. These are not mere inconveniences but life-impacting exclusions.

This situation was recently highlighted by Union Minister of State (MoS) Communications, Chandra S. Pemmasani, who revealed that Odisha currently has 98,848 Base Transceiver Stations (BTS), with 88,360 operated by private telecom companies and 10,488 by public sector units. Yet, thousands of villages remain untouched.

Telecom companies often determine network expansion based on the ‘techno-commercial viability’ (TCV), leaving remote and less-profitable villages excluded. In response, the Central government has invested Rs 3,934 crore under the ambitious Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN) initiative, aiming to bridge this digital divide by 2047.

Until then, these network-dark villages lose opportunities daily — from applying for jobs, to attending online classes, to making life-saving emergency calls. In today's world, mobile connectivity is no longer a luxury; it is a necessity, a right, a breath of dignity.

Worth mentioning, as long as the last village remains disconnected, India’s digital dream will remain incomplete.