In an era where the Government of India is actively promoting digital infrastructure, over 1,800 villages across the Northeast remain entirely outside mobile network coverage as of the end of February 2026.
According to data available with The Sentinel, a total of 1,841 villages out of 45,934 in the Northeast region are still without mobile network services — a significant gap that telecom providers have yet to bridge.
Arunachal Pradesh leads all Northeast states in the number of villages without mobile connectivity.
Of its total 5,993 villages, mobile network coverage is available in 4,817, leaving 1,176 villages unconnected. Of those with coverage, only 600 villages have access to 5G services.
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Assam fares considerably better in relative terms, but absolute gaps remain.
The state has 26,429 villages in total, of which 26,266 have mobile network coverage, leaving 163 villages without any service. Of those covered, only 3,718 villages — a small fraction — have access to 5G services.
The connectivity deficit is spread across all eight states of the region. Here is how the numbers break down:
Manipur has 2,612 villages total, with 189 lacking mobile coverage. Meghalaya has 7,100 villages, of which 141 are uncovered. Mizoram has 867 villages, with 52 without network access. Nagaland has 1,535 villages, of which 107 have no coverage. Tripura has 937 villages, with 7 lacking network. Sikkim has 461 villages, with 6 remaining unconnected.
The Ministry of Communications has outlined two major government-funded initiatives to address rural and remote connectivity.
The BharatNet programme is working toward providing broadband connectivity to all Gram Panchayats (GPs) across the country in a phased manner. As of February 2026, a total of 2,17,805 GPs have been made service-ready under the programme.
The government has also approved an Amended BharatNet Programme (ABP) under a design, build, operate and maintain model. This aims to upgrade existing network infrastructure and extend connectivity to remaining GPs and non-GP villages on demand, with a minimum threshold of five home fibre connections per village and a provision for 1.5 crore home fibre internet connections overall, with operation and maintenance support for 10 years.
Under the government-funded 4G Saturation Project and other mobile connectivity schemes, 24,263 mobile towers have been commissioned across the country as of February 2026.
With multiple telecom service providers operating across the Northeast, the data makes clear that the region's most remote villages continue to be left behind.
As India pushes toward deeper digital inclusion, both government programmes and private telecom players will need to significantly accelerate their efforts to close the connectivity gap in the region.