By IANS
Shimla : Lahaul and Spiti, one of the remotest mountainous areas of the country, has now come on the map of mobile telephony as Airtel Wednesday launched its services in this tribal district of Himachal Pradesh.
"Airtel services have been launched today in Keylong, the district headquarters of Lahaul & Spiti. Airtel services will now be available in and around Keylong," said R.V.S. Bhullar, Airtel's Himachal Pradesh chief.
The tribal district remains cut off from the rest of the country for over half a year due to heavy snowfall over the high passes leading to the region.
Lahaul is a major tourist destination in summer and it is also on the 480-km long highway connecting Manali with Leh and Ladakh in neighbouring Jammu and Kashmir.
"The number of Airtel towers in the state has now gone up to 700 and all 12 districts have been covered in the state now," Bhullar said.
Airtel, the oldest and the largest mobile operator in the hill state, covers 57 towns and 8,000 villages.