India talks 6G, Odisha villages climb trees and hills for a signal

While the nation advances toward 5G expansion and discusses future 6G and 7G capabilities, several remote pockets of Odisha remain completely isolated from basic mobile connectivity. From infants and pregnant women traversing farmlands to get government rations, to citizens climbing trees just to place a phone call, the digital divide presents severe everyday hardships for rural residents across the state. In the Nota area of Kaptipada block in Mayurbhanj district, obtaining basic government provisions like eggs, 'chhatua' (supplementary nutrition), and sweets requires an arduous physical journey. Because the local Anganwadi center lacks network connectivity, workers, pregnant women, and mothers carrying infants are forced to walk half a kilometer past the end of the paved road. They trek across five to seven agricultural fields to assemble under a large tree where mobile signals are accessible. Beneath this tree, the Anganwadi center operates out of necessity-capturing photos and updating mandatory online KYC details so beneficiaries can receive their monthly rations. "As there is no network connectivity in our village, I was forced to come here with the Anganwadi didi to capture a photo required to avail chhatua and eggs," said Durgabati Chatar, a pregnant woman. "I will inquire into the matter and do my best to find a suitable solution," said Kaptipada BDO Salma Soren. A similar crisis plagues the Damia Barabara panchayat in the Banapur block of Khordha district, an tribal-dominated region home to over 6,000 residents. Here, online services remain entirely out of reach. To make a simple phone call, locals must climb trees or scale the roofs of local panchayat buildings while accessing the internet requires hiking up nearby hills. "We have to find suitable trees to climb to get network connectivity for making urgent calls," said Surendra Sabara, a local resident. Although two BSNL towers stand in Balikania and Mandara, both remain completely non-functional, and no private telecom operators serve the area. Officials from BSNL have stated that steps are being taken to address the connectivity issues in the near future. "The poor network connectivity is due to the forested and hilly terrain. A BSNL tower has recently been installed in Mahullia village, and connectivity will soon be provided through a satellite link," said Balugaon BSNL SDO Raghunanth MIshra. The severe lack of connectivity extends into the remote reaches of Sundargarh district's Koida block. In several villages, mobile network coverage is virtually non-existent. Smart classrooms in local schools sit idle without internet connection, calling an ambulance in an emergency requires scaling mountains to find a signal, and obtaining essential official documents forces villagers to travel miles. 'We do not have network connectivity in our area. We used to climb a hill whenever we needed to make official calls or complete any official work," said Lingaraj Sahu, a local teacher. "Many beneficiaries are suffering due to connectivity issues. The government should immediately implement Digital India initiatives as announced," said Bonai MLA Laxman Munda. Beyond rural regions, connectivity flaws persist statewide and even urban areas equipped with 5G infrastructure frequently suffer from severe call drops and sluggish internet speeds.