Lok Sabha Question No. 6332 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-04-12
Subject: Internet Penetration
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: NEELAM SONKER, REKHA ARUN VERMA, ARVIND GANPAT SAWANT, BHAVANA GAWALI (PATIL), SISIR KUMAR ADHIKARI

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.6332 TO BE ANSWERED ON 12 TH   APRIL, 2017

## INTERNET PENETRATION

†6332. SHRIMATI NEELAM SONKER:

SHRIMATI REKHA VERMA:

SHRI ARVIND SAWANT:

SHRIMATI BHAVANA PUNDALIKRAO GAWALI PATIL:

SHRI SISIR KUMAR ADHIKARI:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  expansion  of  internet  and  broadband  services  in  the  country  is  in conformity  with  international  standards/norms  and  if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  if  not,  the reasons therefor;
- (b) the internet and broadband users in rural and urban areas separately, State/UT-wise;
- (c) whether  the  Government  has  fixed  any  annual  target  for  increasing  the  internet penetration  across  the  mobile  and  broadband  users  in  the  country  and  if  so,  the  details thereof including the said targets fixed for rural and urban areas, State/UT-wise and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (d) the gap in internet access rate of rural and urban areas during each of the last three years, State/UT-wise along with the steps taken/being taken by the Government to bridge the said gap in internet access rate; and
- (e) the other steps taken by the Government to enhance the internet penetration across 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) There  are  no  international  standards/  norms  for  the  expansion  of  internet  and broadband services.

However,  the  Licenses  granted  to  Telecom  Service  Providers  require  that  for providing the Service the Licensee shall utilize any type of equipment and product that meets Telecom Engineering Centre (TEC) standards, wherever made mandatory by the  Licensor from time to time. In the absence of mandatory TEC standard, the Licensee may utilize only those  equipments  and  products  which  meet  the  relevant  standards  set  by  International standardization bodies as recognized by TEC and subject to modifications/adaptation, if any, as may be prescribed by TEC /Licensor from to time.

The  specification  prepared  by  TEC  for  equipment  which  can  be  used  for  providing internet and broadband services are based on international standard/ norms.

Telecom  Service  providers  are  providing  their  services  within  the  scope  of  their licenses.

- (b) As  per  the  information  furnished  by  Telecom  Regulatory  Authority  of  India,  the Telecom Licensed Service Area wise details of subscribers as on 31.12.2016 are enclosed as Annexure-I.
- (c) As such, Government has not fixed any annual target for increasing the internet penetration  across  the  mobile  and  broadband  users  in  the  country.  However,  National Telecom Policy-2012 envisages 175 million broadband connections by the year 2017 and 600 million broadband connections by the year 2020 at minimum 2 Mbps download speed. No separate targets have been fixed for rural and urban areas and State/UT-wise.
- (d) As  per  the  information  furnished  by  Telecom  Regulatory  Authority  of  India, Telecom Licensed Service Area wise details of Internet subscribers during last three years with rural/urban break-up are enclosed as Annexure-II.

In order to enhance the penetration of internet access rateand bridge the gap in rural areas, BharatNet project is being implemented to provide 100 Mbps broadband connectivity to  all  Gram  Panchayats  (approx.  2.5  lakh)  in  the  country  by  using  an  optimal  mix  of underground fibre, fibre over power lines, radio and satellite media.

The project is to be implemented in three phases. Under first phase of the project, 1 lakh Gram Panchayats (GPs) are to be connected by laying underground Optical Fibre Cable (OFC). Under second phase, connectivity will be provided to remaining 1.5 lakh GPs in the country using an optimal mix of underground fibre, fibre over power lines, radio and satellite media,  and  provision  of  Wi-Fi  Hotspots  in  all  GPs  in  the  country,  which  is  targeted  to  be completed by December, 2018.

Till 31.03.2017, Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) has been laid to 90,027 Gram Panchayats (GPs) with a total length of 2,02,675 km. Out of these, 17,918 GPs have been provided with broadband connectivity.

- (e) Government has allocated 965 Megahertz spectrum through auction in October 2016 to various telecom service providers for access services. This will enable the telecom service providers to roll-out services which will facilitate proliferation of high speed internet facility and enhancement of internet penetration across the country.

Contd……3/-

## Annexure-I Telecom Licensed Service Area-wise, Rural/Urban subscriber-base of Internet as on 31 st December, 2016 [Subscribers in Millions]

| Telecom Service Area   | Narrowband   | Narrowband   | Broadband   | Broadband   | Total (Dec 2016)   | Total (Dec 2016)   |
|------------------------|--------------|--------------|-------------|-------------|--------------------|--------------------|
| Telecom Service Area   | Rural        | Urban        | Rural       | Urban       | Rural              | Urban              |
| Andhra Pradesh         | 4.99         | 6.64         | 4.67        | 13.85       | 9.66               | 20.49              |
| Assam                  | 2.34         | 0.85         | 1.19        | 3.07        | 3.53               | 3.92               |
| Bihar                  | 6.99         | 5.77         | 2.63        | 7.40        | 9.62               | 13.17              |
| Delhi                  | 0.32         | 6.45         | 0.38        | 17.90       | 0.70               | 24.35              |
| Gujarat                | 3.57         | 5.25         | 3.05        | 12.53       | 6.62               | 17.78              |
| Haryana                | 1.42         | 1.61         | 1.78        | 3.77        | 3.20               | 5.38               |
| Himachal Pradesh       | 0.91         | 0.63         | 0.75        | 1.13        | 1.66               | 1.76               |
| Jammu &Kashmir         | 0.59         | 0.59         | 0.44        | 1.39        | 1.03               | 1.98               |
| Karnataka              | 3.05         | 5.10         | 2.27        | 15.06       | 5.32               | 20.16              |
| Kerala                 | 2.08         | 2.61         | 3.78        | 7.68        | 5.86               | 10.29              |
| Kolkata                | 0.16         | 3.46         | 0.33        | 7.08        | 0.49               | 10.54              |
| Madhya Pradesh         | 4.98         | 5.14         | 2.06        | 11.31       | 7.04               | 16.45              |
| Maharashtra            | 5.48         | 7.07         | 4.77        | 15.29       | 10.25              | 22.36              |
| Mumbai                 | 0.16         | 5.13         | 0.17        | 13.04       | 0.33               | 18.17              |
| North East             | 1.20         | 0.76         | 0.84        | 1.67        | 2.04               | 2.43               |
| Orissa                 | 2.67         | 1.73         | 0.78        | 4.37        | 3.45               | 6.10               |
| Punjab                 | 2.47         | 3.37         | 1.67        | 7.85        | 4.14               | 11.22              |
| Rajasthan              | 4.77         | 4.86         | 2.30        | 7.61        | 7.07               | 12.47              |
| Tamil Nadu             | 3.26         | 7.68         | 4.02        | 15.76       | 7.28               | 23.44              |
| Uttar Pradesh (East)   | 8.26         | 5.90         | 3.32        | 8.25        | 11.58              | 14.15              |
| Uttar Pradesh (West)   | 4.74         | 4.67         | 1.88        | 6.95        | 6.62               | 11.62              |
| West Bengal            | 4.02         | 1.76         | 3.57        | 6.47        | 7.59               | 8.23               |
|                        | 68.43        | 87.03        | 46.65       | 189.43      | 115.08             | 276.46             |
|                        | 155.46       | 155.46       | 236.08      | 236.08      | 391.54             | 391.54             |

Note:   Data/information  for  Andhra  Pradesh  includes  Telengana,  Madhya  Pradesh includes  Chhatisgarh,  Bihar  includes  Jharkhand,  Maharashtra  includes  Goa, Uttar Pradesh includes Uttarakhand, West Bengal includes Sikkim and NorthEast includes Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland & Tripura states.

Contd…….4/-

Annexure-II Telecom Licensed Service Area-wise, Rural/Urban subscriber-base of Internet

## during last three years

| Telecom Service Area   | Total ( As on 31 st Dec 2014)   | Total ( As on 31 st Dec 2014)   | Total ( As on 31 st Dec 2015)   | Total ( As on 31 st Dec 2015)   | Total ( As on 31 st Dec 2016)   | Total ( As on 31 st Dec 2016)   |
|------------------------|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
| Telecom Service Area   | Rural                           | Urban                           | Rural                           | Urban                           | Rural                           | Urban                           |
| Andhra Pradesh         | 7.58                            | 12.23                           | 9.05                            | 15.38                           | 9.66                            | 20.49                           |
| Assam                  | 2.44                            | 2.30                            | 3.38                            | 2.79                            | 3.53                            | 3.92                            |
| Bihar                  | 6.93                            | 6.95                            | 8.43                            | 10.00                           | 9.62                            | 13.17                           |
| Delhi                  | 1.35                            | 15.94                           | 0.95                            | 18.72                           | 0.70                            | 24.35                           |
| Gujarat                | 5.99                            | 11.70                           | 6.16                            | 15.00                           | 6.62                            | 17.78                           |
| Haryana                | 2.85                            | 3.07                            | 2.96                            | 4.50                            | 3.20                            | 5.38                            |
| Himachal Pradesh       | 1.39                            | 0.98                            | 1.73                            | 1.15                            | 1.66                            | 1.76                            |
| Jammu &Kashmir         | 1.76                            | 1.32                            | 1.84                            | 1.65                            | 1.03                            | 1.98                            |
| Karnataka              | 4.43                            | 12.74                           | 5.85                            | 16.33                           | 5.32                            | 20.16                           |
| Kerala                 | 5.23                            | 7.08                            | 6.14                            | 8.25                            | 5.86                            | 10.29                           |
| Kolkata                | 1.06                            | 5.86                            | 0.55                            | 8.48                            | 0.49                            | 10.54                           |
| Madhya Pradesh         | 4.60                            | 9.24                            | 6.37                            | 13.08                           | 7.04                            | 16.45                           |
| Maharashtra            | 8.13                            | 15.98                           | 9.70                            | 18.82                           | 10.25                           | 22.36                           |
| Mumbai                 | 0.86                            | 12.42                           | 0.30                            | 15.31                           | 0.33                            | 18.17                           |
| North East             | 1.60                            | 1.69                            | 1.96                            | 1.74                            | 2.04                            | 2.43                            |
| Orissa                 | 2.36                            | 3.49                            | 3.60                            | 4.25                            | 3.45                            | 6.10                            |
| Punjab                 | 4.49                            | 6.62                            | 4.56                            | 8.45                            | 4.14                            | 11.22                           |
| Rajasthan              | 5.97                            | 8.39                            | 7.28                            | 9.58                            | 7.07                            | 12.47                           |
| Tamil Nadu             | 6.10                            | 16.00                           | 6.86                            | 20.41                           | 7.28                            | 23.44                           |
| Uttar Pradesh (East)   | 7.85                            | 8.71                            | 10.98                           | 10.86                           | 11.58                           | 14.15                           |
| Uttar Pradesh(West)    | 4.39                            | 7.18                            | 6.15                            | 9.48                            | 6.62                            | 11.62                           |
| West Bengal            | 4.81                            | 5.34                            | 7.36                            | 5.27                            | 7.59                            | 8.23                            |
| Total                  | 92.17                           | 175.23                          | 112.16                          | 219.50                          | 115.08                          | 276.46                          |
|                        | 267.40                          | 267.40                          | 331.66                          | 331.66                          | 391.54                          | 391.54                          |

## [Subscribers in Millions]

Note:   Data/information  for  Andhra  Pradesh  includes  Telengana,  Madhya  Pradesh includes  Chhatisgarh,  Bihar  includes  Jharkhand,  Maharashtra  includes  Goa, Uttar Pradesh includes Uttarakhand, West Bengal includes Sikkim and NorthEast includes Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland & Tripura states.

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