Lok Sabha Question No. 4437 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-12-14
Subject: Mobile Net Access
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: K. ASHOK KUMAR

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.4437 TO BE ANSWERED ON 14 TH  DECEMBER,  2016

## MOBILE NET ACCESS

4437. SHRI K. ASHOK KUMAR:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether rural India has much less mobile net access;
- (b) if so, the details thereof in comparison to urban areas; and
- (c) the steps proposed to be taken by the Government to promote use and access of mobile net in rural India?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (c) The  mobile  services  are  being  provided  by  licensed  Telecom  Service Providers  (TSPs)  in  accordance  with  the  terms  and  conditions  of  their  respective license  agreement,  which  is  technology  neutral.  Presently,  the  mobile  services  are provided by the TSPs using 2G (Second Generation)/ 3G (Third Generation) and/ or 4G (Fourth Generation) technologies. Internet access can be provided using any of these mobile technologies.

The terms and conditions of the license granted to the TSPs provide that they are  required  to  fulfill  minimum  roll  out  obligations  as  prescribed  in  their  respective license agreements. However, the telecom licenses do not mandate coverage of all rural  areas  by  the  TSPs.  Therefore,  the  TSPs  deploy  their  network  using  any technology as per their business decision and commercial viability after meeting the minimum  roll  out  obligations.  The  Department  of  Telecommunications  does  not monitor coverage beyond the mandatory requirement as per roll out obligations.

As  reported  by  the  Telecom  Service  Providers,  the  details  of  subscriber accessing Internet through mobile devices, with urban-rural break-up, as on 30.06.2016 is enclosed as Annexure-I .

Government has already initiated a scheme to provide broadband connectivity at each village panchayat through BharatNet Programme under the aegis of Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF). The TSPs are free to use this facility to expand their services for providing access of mobile net in rural India.

## Annexure-I

## Subscribers accessing Internet through Mobile Devices as on 30.06.2016 (in millions) as provided by Service Providers

| S.No .   | Telecom Service Area   | Wireless Narrowband   | Wireless Narrowband   | Wireless Broadband   | Wireless Broadband   | Total   |
|----------|------------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|----------------------|----------------------|---------|
| S.No .   | Telecom Service Area   | Rural                 | Urban                 | Rural                | Urban                | Total   |
| 1        | Andhra Pradesh         | 5.82                  | 7.71                  | 3.60                 | 6.51                 | 23.64   |
| 2        | Assam                  | 2.43                  | 1.29                  | 0.88                 | 2.03                 | 6.62    |
| 3        | Bihar                  | 7.00                  | 7.14                  | 1.93                 | 3.68                 | 19.76   |
| 4        | Delhi                  | 0.47                  | 7.87                  | 0.47                 | 11.07                | 19.87   |
| 5        | Gujarat                | 3.92                  | 7.03                  | 2.04                 | 7.25                 | 20.24   |
| 6        | Haryana                | 1.71                  | 2.08                  | 0.96                 | 2.27                 | 7.03    |
| 7        | Himachal Pradesh       | 1.10                  | 0.73                  | 0.67                 | 0.47                 | 2.97    |
| 8        | Jammu & Kashmir        | 1.25                  | 0.99                  | 0.57                 | 0.63                 | 3.43    |
| 9        | Karnataka              | 3.39                  | 6.04                  | 1.93                 | 9.26                 | 20.61   |
| 10       | Kerala                 | 2.46                  | 3.17                  | 2.57                 | 4.95                 | 13.15   |
| 11       | Kolkata                | 0.23                  | 3.86                  | 0.30                 | 4.03                 | 8.41    |
| 12       | Maharashtra            | 6.37                  | 8.52                  | 3.47                 | 10.21                | 28.57   |
| 13       | Madhya Pradesh         | 5.28                  | 5.92                  | 1.46                 | 7.27                 | 19.93   |
| 14       | Mumbai                 | 0.16                  | 6.27                  | 0.10                 | 7.79                 | 14.33   |
| 15       | North East             | 1.37                  | 0.95                  | 0.63                 | 1.02                 | 3.98    |
| 16       | Orissa                 | 3.05                  | 2.14                  | 0.77                 | 2.14                 | 8.10    |
| 17       | Punjab                 | 3.31                  | 4.23                  | 1.19                 | 3.74                 | 12.47   |
| 18       | Rajasthan              | 5.24                  | 6.31                  | 1.72                 | 3.72                 | 16.99   |
| 19       | Tamilnadu              | 3.32                  | 8.97                  | 3.07                 | 10.24                | 25.60   |
| 20       | Uttar Pradesh - West   | 4.94                  | 6.12                  | 1.45                 | 3.92                 | 16.42   |
| 21       | Uttar Pradesh - East   | 9.57                  | 7.54                  | 2.11                 | 4.26                 | 23.48   |
| 22       | West Bengal            | 5.29                  | 2.38                  | 2.22                 | 3.64                 | 13.53   |
|          | Grand Total            | 77.69                 | 107.26                | 34.10                | 110.09               | 329.14  |

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