Lok Sabha Question No. 133 (STARRED), answered on 2017-12-27
Subject: Communication Network in Maharashtra
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: SANJAY HARIBHAU JADHAV

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK  SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 133 TO BE ANSWERED ON 27 TH      DECEMBER, 2017

## COMMUNICATION NETWORK IN MAHARASHTRA

- †*133. SHRI SANJAY HARIBHAU JADHAV:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  any  data  regarding  percentage  of  coverage  of communication network in Maharashtra;
- (b) if so, the details thereof, district-wise; and
- (c) the steps taken/being taken by the Government to increase the communication network coverage in remote/forest regions of Maharashtra?

## 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) A statement is laid on the table of the House.

Contd………2/-

## STATEMENT  TO  BE  LAID  ON  THE  TABLE  OF  LOK  SABHA  IN  RESPECT  OF PARTS  (a)  TO  (c)  OF  LOK  SABHA  STARRED  QUESTION  NO.  *133  FOR  27 TH DECEMBER,  2017 ON 'COMMUNICATION NETWORK IN MAHARASHTRA'.

(a) & (b) A communication network basically include telephone penetration (wireless and wireline) in rural and urban areas of the country. As the licenses are given service  area  wise,  therefore  the  data  is  also  maintained  service  area  wise  and  not district wise. The number of connections, teledensity (percentage of population covered) and the percentage share of Maharshatra Service Area in total number of connections in India as on 31 st October 2017 is as under:

| Service Area   | Number of connections ( in Million)   | Number of connections ( in Million)   | Number of connections ( in Million)   | Number of connections ( in Million)   | Number of connections ( in Million)   | Teledensity ( in %)   | Share of Maharashtra in Total connection in India ( in %)   |
|----------------|---------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|-----------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|
| Service Area   | Rural                                 | Urban                                 | Total                                 | Wireline                              | Wireless                              | Teledensity ( in %)   | Share of Maharashtra in Total connection in India ( in %)   |
| Maharashtra    | 43.38                                 | 52.64                                 | 96.03                                 | 1.80                                  | 94.23                                 | 95.58                 | 7.95                                                        |

(c) USOF is implementing projects to provide mobile connectivity in remote and rural uncovered  areas.  A  project  to  provide  mobile  service  in  LWE  (  Left  Wing  Extremist) areas of Maharashtra is being implemented. Under this project 65 towers have been set up and are radiating. The Department has also planned to cover uncovered villages by mobile  connectivity  in  phased  manner  based  on  availability  of  funds/  resources.  The identification of uncovered villages is in progress through a web portal made available by DoT to all State Governments.

In  addition,  under  the  BharatNet  program  the  Government    plans  to  create network  infrastructure  for  providing  Broadband  connectivity  to  all  Gram  Panchayats (GPs) (approx. 2,50,000) in the country. The project is being implemented in a phased manner,  with  phase-I  to  connect  1,00,000    GPs    being  implemented  currently.  In Phase-I, 15317 GPs in Maharashtra  were taken up, of which, optical fiber connectivity has been provided to 12993 GPs and   12062 GPs (78.75%) have been made  service ready as on 20-12-2017.

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