Lok Sabha Question No. 2012 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-03-07
Subject: Mobile Towers Installed by BSNL and MTNL
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: ARVIND GANPAT SAWANT

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2012 TO BE ANSWERED ON 7 th  MARCH, 2018

## MOBILE TOWERS INSTALLED BY BSNL AND MTNL

†2012. SHRI ARVIND SAWANT:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  number  of  mobile  towers  of  MTNL  and  BSNL  is  inadequate  to  meet  the demand of their total customers;
- (b) if so, the details of the action taken by the Government to increase the network capacity of the said companies;
- (c) whether a number of towers installed by BSNL particularly in rural and hilly areas are not functioning;
- (d) if so, the details of the non-functioning and removed towers State/UT-wise including the State of Maharashtra; and
- (e) the steps taken by the Government in this regard along with the funds allocated for the said purpose?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE (IC) OF THE MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS & MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS (SHRI MANOJ SINHA)

(a) & (b) Setting up of mobile towers is an ongoing process and is carried out to provide coverage    and  capacity,  based  upon  factors  such  as  traffic  volume,  number  of  customers, development  of  new  localities  etc.  At  present  Bharat  Sanchar  Nigam  Limited  (BSNL)  has 1,26,334  BTSs  (Base  Transceiver  Stations)  working  in  its  Licenses  Service  Areas(LSAs). However,  to  further  improve  its  network,  BSNL  has  finalised  Phase-VIII.4  GSM  expansion project for the following:

- Replacement of old equipment having high operational cost & AMC.
- Addition of 3G capacity for increasing 3G footprint.
- Introduction of 4G services.

The project will add 53,398 BTSs (2G+3G+4G) throughout the country.

At present, Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) has 3,594 BTSs in Delhi and Mumbai. MTNL is adding 1080 BTSs (3G) in Delhi and upgrading 720 BTSs (3G) in Mumbai.

- (c) to (e) As on 28.02.2018, 585 mobile towers of BSNL are not functioning including 81 mobile  towers  in    Maharashtra.    The  BSNL  Circle-wise  details  of  non-functional  towers  is  at Annexure.

BSNL  will  make  these  non-functional  towers  functional  during  the  next  financial  year based on assessment of techno commercial viability.

Details of non functional towers of BSNL

| S.No.   | Circle               |   Non-functional towers |
|---------|----------------------|-------------------------|
| 1       | Andaman & Nicobar    |                       0 |
| 2       | Andhra Pradesh       |                       0 |
| 3       | Assam                |                       0 |
| 4       | Bihar                |                       1 |
| 5       | Chhattisgarh         |                     127 |
| 6       | Gujarat              |                      19 |
| 7       | Haryana              |                       0 |
| 8       | Himachal Pradesh     |                       0 |
| 9       | Jammu & Kashmir      |                      12 |
| 10      | Jharkhand            |                       0 |
| 11      | Karnataka            |                       0 |
| 12      | Kerala               |                       8 |
| 13      | Madhya Pradesh       |                       0 |
| 14      | Maharashtra          |                      81 |
| 15      | North East - 1       |                       0 |
| 16      | North East - 2       |                       2 |
| 17      | Odisha               |                     123 |
| 18      | Punjab               |                       1 |
| 19      | Rajasthan            |                     104 |
| 20      | Tamil Nadu           |                       9 |
| 21      | Uttrakhand           |                       0 |
| 22      | Uttar Pradesh (East) |                       0 |
| 23      | Uttar Pradesh (West) |                      28 |
| 24      | West Bengal          |                      65 |
| 25      | Kolkatta             |                       5 |
| 26      | Chennai              |                       0 |
| Total   | Total                |                     585 |

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Annexure