Soldiers stationed at the Siachen Glacier can now avail 4G and 5G network connectivity following a collaboration between Reliance Jio and the Indian Army. Working with the Army Signallers, Jio has deployed plug-and-play pre-configured equipment at a forward post, in time for the Army Day on January 15. With this, Jio further extends its network in the Ladakh region to the world’s highest battlefield.

“This achievement was made possible in coordination with Army Signallers from planning to multiple training sessions, system pre-configuration, and comprehensive testing. The Indian Army was pivotal in managing logistics, including airlifting Jio’s equipment to Siachen Glacier. This collaboration ensured connectivity at 16,000 feet in the Karakoram range, an area characterised by extreme conditions with temperatures plummeting to -50°C,” said Jio in a press release on January 13. The telco has been expanding its network in the Ladakh region, prioritising forward posts along the borders.

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On January 2, the Indian Army had talked about connecting border areas and remote villages of Ladakh using 4G technology, in collaboration with Bharti Airtel. The Fire and Fury Corps worked with the telco to set up 42 4G mobile towers covering Kargil, Siachen, Demchok, Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO) and Galwan.