Lok Sabha Question No. 2743 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-01-03
Subject: Quality of Data Connectivity
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Pratyusha Rajeshwari Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2743 TO BE ANSWERED ON  3 RD  JANUARY, 2018

## QUALITY OF DATA CONNECTIVITY

2743. SHRIMATI PRATYUSHA RAJESHWARI SINGH:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has any plan to improve the quality of data connectivity in the mobile network of rural areas;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether  there is  any specific plan for the State like Odisha  particularly Kandhamal Parliamentary Constituency which is having a low-teledensity and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the  number of mobile towers which are being planned in Left Wing Extremism (LWE), areas of Odisha particularly in Kandhamal District to improve the connectivity?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) Yes, Madam. Department of Telecom through Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) is implementing:
- (i) BharatNet project which is aimed at providing broadband connectivity to each Gram Panchayat of the country.
- (ii) Comprehensive Telecom Development Plan for North East Region (NER).
- (iii) Provision  of  Mobile  Connectivity  in  Left  Wing  Extremist(LWE)  Area  at  the sites identified by Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
- (iv) Laying of dedicated submarine Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) between Chennai and Andaman & Nicobar Island.
- (v) Augmentation of OFC between District Headquarters and Block Headquarters in North-Eastern States

- (b) (i) BharatNet  project  is  being  implemented  in  a  phased  manner  for  providing broadband  connectivity  to  all  Gram  Panchayats  (approx.  2,50,000)  in  the country.  Through  this  project  100  Mbps  or  above  (on  OFC/Radio)  is  being provided at Gram Panchayat (GP) level which may be used for backhauling the  traffic  of  mobile  network  in  rural  area.  This  may  help  in  improving  the quality of data connectivity in the mobile network in rural area.
- (ii) A comprehensive Telecom Development Plan for the North-Eastern Region (NER)  is  being  implemented.  The  Project  envisages  to  provide  mobile coverage to 8621 identified uncovered villages by installation of about 6673 mobile towers, installation of 321 mobile tower sites along National Highways and strengthening of transmission network in the NER.
- (iii) Total  of  2355  mobile  towers  for  LWE  project  are  being  setup  at  the  sites identified by MHA in LWE affected areas. As on date, total 2329 tower sites are functional.
- (iv) For  submarine  OFC  between  mainland  India  (Chennai)  and    Andaman  & Nicobar  Island  from  Mainland  India  (Chennai)  to  Portblair  &    five  others islands namely Car Nicobar, Havelock, Kamorta, Little Andaman  and Great Nicobar Island, about 2164 Km of submarine OFC is to be laid.
- (v) Augmentation  of Optical Fibre Cable  (OFC)  Network  between  District Headquarter (DHQ) and Block Headquarters (BHQs) in North Eastern States namely; Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Tripura, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh & Nagaland is being implemented.

(c) & (d) LWE  project  is  being  implemented  in  Kandhamal  District.  Proposal  for Phase-II of the LWE Project has also been prepared. The details of mobile tower setup and  planned  to  be  setup  in  LWE  affected  area  of  Odisha,  at  the  sites,  identified  by Ministry of Home Affair (MHA) is as follows:

|                    |   LWE Phase I project Functional |   LWE Phase II project Under Planning |
|--------------------|----------------------------------|---------------------------------------|
| Odisha             |                              256 |                                   483 |
| Kandhamal District |                               23 |                                    38 |

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