Lok Sabha Question No. 5397 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-03-28
Subject: Mobile Towers in Rural Areas
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: CHANDU LAL SAHU

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.5397 TO BE ANSWERED ON 28 th      MARCH, 2018

## MOBILE TOWERS IN RURAL AREAS

†5397. SHRI CHANDU LAL SAHU:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  digitally  driven  social  activities,  e-governance  and  opportunities  for employment are increasing around those areas in villages where telecom towers have been installed;
- (b) if  so,  the  total  number  of  villages  in  rural  areas  of  the  country  where  telecom towers have been installed, State/UT-wise and Telecom company-wise; and
- (c) the number of such towers targeted for installation in rural areas in the coming financial year, State/UT-wise?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) Ministry  of  Communications  is  primarily  engaged  in  enabling  the  provision  of necessary infrastructure for providing Telecommunications services in the country.  The social,  economic  or  any  other  impact  of  this  is  not  monitored  by  the  Department  of Telecommunications.
- (b) The information is attached as Annexure A.
- (c) As per License agreement with Telecom Companies, each company is required to  cover  at  least  50%  of  licensed  area  within  a  finite  period  of  five  years.    Coverage beyond this is planned by operators as per their business plans.

|                                                         |                                                         |                                                         | Annexure A                                                                                         |
|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Part (b) of Lok Sabha Q.5397 Dy.No. 16385 for 28.3.2018 | Part (b) of Lok Sabha Q.5397 Dy.No. 16385 for 28.3.2018 | Part (b) of Lok Sabha Q.5397 Dy.No. 16385 for 28.3.2018 | Part (b) of Lok Sabha Q.5397 Dy.No. 16385 for 28.3.2018                                            |
| Sr.No.                                                  | Name of State                                           | Name ofTSP                                              | * Total number of villages in Rural areas of the country where telecom towers have been installed; |
| 1                                                       | Andhra Pradesh                                          | BSNL                                                    | 4304                                                                                               |
|                                                         |                                                         | Reliance Jio                                            | 6220                                                                                               |
|                                                         |                                                         | Telenor                                                 | 509                                                                                                |
|                                                         |                                                         | Tata Teleservices Ltd                                   | 826                                                                                                |
|                                                         |                                                         | Idea Cellular Ltd                                       | 4888                                                                                               |
|                                                         |                                                         | Vodafone                                                | 3267                                                                                               |
| 2                                                       | Andaman& Nikobar                                        | Vodafone                                                | 59                                                                                                 |
|                                                         |                                                         | Bharti Airtel Ltd                                       | 24                                                                                                 |
|                                                         |                                                         | BSNL                                                    | 122                                                                                                |
| 3                                                       | Arunchal Pradesh                                        | BSNL                                                    | 150                                                                                                |
|                                                         |                                                         | BHL                                                     | 5257                                                                                               |
|                                                         |                                                         | Idea Cellular Ltd                                       | 55                                                                                                 |
|                                                         |                                                         | Vodafone                                                | 61                                                                                                 |
|                                                         |                                                         | Reliance Jio                                            | 16                                                                                                 |
| 4                                                       | Assam                                                   | Bharti Bharati Airtel Ltd Ltd                           | 11692                                                                                              |
|                                                         |                                                         | Idea Cellular Ltd                                       | 8397                                                                                               |
|                                                         |                                                         | BSNL                                                    | 10377                                                                                              |
|                                                         |                                                         | Reliance Jio                                            | 8219                                                                                               |
|                                                         |                                                         | Aircel                                                  | 8290                                                                                               |
|                                                         |                                                         | Vodafone                                                | 7419                                                                                               |
| 5                                                       | Bihar                                                   | Aircel                                                  | 1782                                                                                               |
|                                                         |                                                         | Telenor                                                 | 1638                                                                                               |
|                                                         |                                                         | Bharati Airtel Ltd                                      | 6107                                                                                               |
|                                                         |                                                         | Idea Cellular Ltd                                       | 4215                                                                                               |
|                                                         |                                                         | Vodafone                                                | 1450                                                                                               |
|                                                         |                                                         | Reliance Ltd                                            | 1463                                                                                               |
|                                                         |                                                         | Reliance Jio Ltd                                        | 4059                                                                                               |
|                                                         |                                                         | BSNL                                                    | 1793                                                                                               |
| 6                                                       | Chatisgarh                                              | Bharati Airtel Ltd                                      | 1582                                                                                               |
|                                                         |                                                         | BSNL                                                    | 1260                                                                                               |
|                                                         |                                                         | Idea Cellular Ltd                                       | 1783                                                                                               |
|                                                         |                                                         | Reliance JIO                                            | 1961                                                                                               |

|    |                  | Vodafone              |   602 |
|----|------------------|-----------------------|-------|
| 7  | Delhi            | Bharati Airtel Ltd    |   257 |
|    |                  | Idea Cellular Ltd     |   194 |
|    |                  | Reliance Jio          |   118 |
|    |                  | MTNL                  |   250 |
|    |                  | Tata Teleservices Ltd |    99 |
|    |                  | Vodafone              |   403 |
| 8  | GOA              | Bharati Airtel Ltd    |   107 |
|    |                  | BSNL                  |    98 |
|    |                  | Idea Cellular Ltd     |   140 |
|    |                  | Reliance Jio          |   146 |
|    |                  | Telenor               |    39 |
|    |                  | Tata Teleservices Ltd |    11 |
|    |                  | Vodafone              |   158 |
| 9  | Gujarat          | BSNL                  |  6109 |
|    |                  | Vodafone              |  7435 |
|    |                  | Bharati Airtel Ltd    |  6909 |
|    |                  | Idea Cellular Ltd     |  6905 |
|    |                  | Reliance Jio          |  4804 |
|    |                  | Tata Teleservices Ltd |  3319 |
|    |                  | Telenor               |   945 |
| 10 | Haryana          | Bharati Airtel Ltd    |   882 |
|    |                  | Idea Cellular Ltd     |   130 |
|    |                  | BSNL                  |   630 |
|    |                  | Reliance Jio          |  1000 |
| 11 | Himachal Pradesh | BSNL                  |  8945 |
|    |                  | Bharati Airtel Ltd    |   919 |
|    |                  | Reliance Jio          |  4532 |
|    |                  | Idea Cellular Ltd     |  5399 |
|    |                  | Vodafone              |   648 |
|    |                  | Tata Teleservices Ltd |   205 |
| 12 | J&K              | Vodafone              |  3515 |
|    |                  | BSNL                  |   767 |
|    |                  | Idea Cellular Ltd     |  3090 |
|    |                  | Bharati Airtel Ltd    |  5437 |
|    |                  | Reliance Jio          |  3169 |
| 13 | Jharkhand        | Bharati Airtel Ltd    |  1729 |
|    |                  | BSNL                  |  1423 |
|    |                  | Idea Cellular Ltd     |  2108 |
|    |                  | Tata Teleservices Ltd |    37 |

|    |                | Telenor               |   195 |
|----|----------------|-----------------------|-------|
|    |                | Vodafone              |   927 |
|    |                | Reliance Jio          |   809 |
| 14 | Karnataka      | Aircel                |   467 |
|    |                | Bharati Airtel Ltd    |  6519 |
|    |                | BSNL                  |  3790 |
|    |                | Idea Cellular Ltd     |  4684 |
|    |                | Reliance Jio          |  4923 |
|    |                | Tata Teleservices Ltd |  1741 |
|    |                | Vodafone              |  3637 |
| 15 | Kerala         | Bharati Airtel Ltd    |   974 |
|    |                | AIRCEL                |    15 |
|    |                | BSNL                  |  1111 |
|    |                | Idea Cellular Ltd     |  1007 |
|    |                | Vodafone              |   962 |
|    |                | Reliance Jio          |   980 |
|    |                | Tata Teleservices Ltd |   280 |
| 16 | Lakshdweep     | Bharati Airtel Ltd    |     4 |
|    |                | BSNL                  |    11 |
| 17 | Madhya Pradesh | Bharati Airtel Ltd    |  5052 |
|    |                | BSNL                  |  2340 |
|    |                | Idea Cellular Ltd     |  4954 |
|    |                | Reliance JIO          |  4358 |
|    |                | Tata Teleservices Ltd |     4 |
|    |                | Vodafone              |  2409 |
| 18 | Maharashtra    | Bharati Airtel Ltd    |  6005 |
|    |                | BSNL                  |  4273 |
|    |                | Idea Cellular Ltd     |  7647 |
|    |                | Reliance Jio          |  6740 |
|    |                | Telenor               |  1475 |
|    |                | Tata Teleservices Ltd |   875 |
|    |                | Vodafone              |  6827 |
|    | Mumbai         | Aircel                |   241 |
|    |                | Bharati Airtel Ltd    |   125 |
|    |                | Idea Cellular Ltd     |   119 |
|    |                | Reliance JIO          |   234 |
|    |                | Tata Teleservices Ltd |   178 |
|    |                | Vodafone              |   305 |
| 19 | Manipur        | BSNL                  |   191 |
|    |                | Bharati Airtel Ltd    |  2380 |
|    |                | Idea Cellular Ltd     |   561 |

|    |           | Reliance Jio          |   100 |
|----|-----------|-----------------------|-------|
| 20 | Meghalaya | BSNL                  |   179 |
|    |           | BHL                   |  6459 |
|    |           | Idea Cellular Ltd     |   570 |
|    |           | Vodafone              |    64 |
|    |           | Reliance Jio          |   274 |
| 21 | Mizoram   | BSNL                  |    88 |
|    |           | Bharati Airtel Ltd    |   704 |
|    |           | Idea Cellular Ltd     |     9 |
|    |           | Vodafone              |    11 |
|    |           | Reliance Jio          |    71 |
| 22 | Nagaland  | BSNL                  |   155 |
|    |           | Bharati Airtel Ltd    |  1400 |
|    |           | Idea Cellular Ltd     |   227 |
|    |           | Vodafone              |     8 |
|    |           | Reliance Jio          |   117 |
| 23 | Orissa    | BSNL                  |  2618 |
|    |           | Bharati Airtel Ltd    |  4806 |
|    |           | Reliance Jio          |  3336 |
|    |           | Vodafone              |  3056 |
|    |           | Idea Cellular Ltd     |  1730 |
| 24 | Punjab    | Idea Cellular Ltd     |  6162 |
|    |           | Reliance Jio          |  5504 |
|    |           | Bharati Airtel Ltd    |  6129 |
|    |           | Vodafone              |  3672 |
|    |           | Tata Teleservices Ltd |   366 |
|    |           | BSNL                  |  5612 |
| 25 | Rajasthan | Idea Cellular Ltd     |  4071 |
|    |           | Reliance Jio          |  6491 |
|    |           | Vodafone              |  5287 |
|    |           | Tata Teleservices Ltd |   305 |
|    |           | Bharati Airtel Ltd    |  4845 |
|    |           | Aircel                |  1145 |
|    |           | BSNL                  |  2510 |
| 26 | Sikkim    | Idea Cellular Ltd     |    48 |
|    |           | Vodafone              |   135 |
|    |           | Bharti Airtel Ltd     |   114 |
|    |           | Reliance Jio          |   108 |
|    |           | BSNL                  |    59 |
| 27 | Tamilnadu | vodafone              |  5037 |
|    |           | Idea Cellular Ltd     |  6373 |

|    |               | Bharati Airtel Ltd     |   14637 |
|----|---------------|------------------------|---------|
|    |               | Reliance Jio           |   12658 |
|    |               | BSNL                   |   12530 |
| 28 | Tripura       | BSNL                   |     269 |
|    |               | Bharati Airtel Ltd     |     863 |
|    |               | Idea Cellular Ltd      |     358 |
|    |               | Vodafone               |     108 |
|    |               | Reliance Jio           |     178 |
| 29 | Uttar Pradesh | Bharati Airtel Ltd     |   39278 |
|    |               | Idea Cellular Ltd      |   46030 |
|    |               | Vodafone               |   12501 |
|    |               | BSNL                   |    6175 |
|    |               | Reliance Jio           |   11234 |
|    |               | Telenor                |    9366 |
|    |               | Tata Teleservices Ltd  |     246 |
| 30 | West Bengal   | Idea Cellular Ltd      |   23449 |
|    |               | Vodafone               |    5819 |
|    |               | Tata Teleservices Ltd. |      25 |
|    |               | Bharati Airtel Ltd     |    5480 |
|    |               | Reliance Jio           |   30915 |
|    |               | BSNL                   |    1866 |
|    | Kolkata       | Bharati Airtel Ltd     |     308 |
|    |               | Idea Cellular Ltd      |     704 |
|    |               | Reliance Telecom       |     699 |
|    |               | Tata Teleservices Ltd  |     196 |
|    |               | Reliance Jio           |      92 |
|    |               | Vodafone               |     266 |

*Figures  indicate  number  of  villages  covered  by  Telecom  Companies.  There  may  be overlaps also, i.e. some villages covered by more than one Telecom Service Providers.

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