Lok Sabha Question No. 6028 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-04-04
Subject: Mobile Towers in Panchayat Areas
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: JHINA  HIKAKA, RODMAL NAGAR

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.6028 TO BE ANSWERED ON 4 TH  APRIL, 2018

## MOBILE TOWERS IN PANCHAYAT AREAS

6028.  SHRI JHINA HIKAKA: SHRI NAGAR RODMAL:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is taking any steps to install telephone towers in every panchayat of the country in order to meet  the demands  of  digitalisation  and strengthening of rural banking system;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether  the  Government  has  taken  any  steps  to  provide  mobile  towers  in  the remote villages of the country where such towers are not available till date and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (d) the time by which the mobile towers are proposed to be installed in every remote village and each panchayat area of the country?

## ANSWER

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

(a) & (b) BharatNet is being implemented in every Gram Panchayat of the country through Optical Fibre Cable (OFC), satellite and micro wave for providing high speed broadband connectivity. This facilitate the delivery of various applications for e-health, e-education, e-governance, e-banking etc.

- (c) & (d) According  to  data  collected  from  Telecom  Service  Providers  (TSPs)  in 2014, it is estimated that there are 52,685 villages (as per census 2011 data) that do not have mobile services. Mobile coverage to these uncovered villages is being provided in a  phased  manner.  At  present,  the  Department  has  the  following  programmes  for provision of telecom services in left out villages/areas of the country:

(i)  Comprehensive  Telecom  Development  Plan  for  the  North-Eastern  Region (NER): On  10.09.2014, the Government  approved  a  proposal to implement a Comprehensive  Telecom  Development  Plan  for  the  North-Eastern  Region  (NER)  to provide mobile coverage to 8621 identified uncovered villages by installing 6673 mobile towers and 321 mobile towers along with National Highways.

( ii)  Mobile  Communication  Services  in  Left  Wing  Extremism  (LWE)  affected areas: Government had approved the project on 20.08.2014 to provide Mobile services in 2199 locations identified by Ministry of home Affairs and on 20.7.2016, Government had also approved to install additional 156 mobile towers under LWE Phase-I project. As on date total 2335 mobile towers are radiating. Further, Department has received a list of 4,072 mobile locations from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in LWE affected areas. Telecom Commission, in its meeting held on 21.12.2017, has recommended the proposal for installing 4072 mobile towers, for which Cabinet approval is being sought.

(iii)  Comprehensive Telecom Development Plan for Andaman & Nicobar Islands and  Lakshadweep  Islands: Comprehensive  Telecom  Development  Plan  to  provide mobile  coverage  in  172  uncovered  villages  and  along  National  Highways  and  to augment the Satellite Bandwidth for Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep.

(iv)  BharatNet: BharatNet  is  being  implemented  in  a  phased  manner  for  providing broadband connectivity to all the Gram Panchayats (approx. 2,50,000) in the country.

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