Lok Sabha Question No. 3748 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-08-09
Subject: Wi-Fi Hotspot in Rural Areas
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: RANJANBEN BHATT, A.T. (NANA) PATIL

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3748 TO BE ANSWERED ON 9 TH   AUGUST, 2017

## WI-FI HOTSPOT IN RURAL AREAS

†3748. SHRIMATI RANJANBEN BHATT: SHRI A.T. NANA PATIL:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is considering to set up Wi-Fi hotspot in the rural areas and rural exchanges of the country, especially in the State of Maharashtra and if so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise;
- (b) the steps taken by the Government in this regard;
- (c) if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (d) the time by which the said project is likely to be implemented?

## ANSWER

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

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(a) to (d) BharatNetProject is being implemented to provide broadband connectivity    to  all  the  Gram  Panchayats  (approximately  2,50,000)  in  the  country. Government  has  approved  the  revised  implementation  strategy  of  BharatNet  on 19.07.2017 under which last mile connectivity for internet service, through Wi-Fi  any other suitable broadband technology, is proposed to cover all the GPs by March, 2019.

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is setting up Public Wi-Fi hotspots at rural Telephone Exchanges of BSNL targeted to be implemented by December, 2017. Statewise  details  including  Maharashtra  are  at Annexure-I .  Further,  Common  Service Centre-  Special  Purpose  Vehicle  (CSC-SPV),  under  the  Ministry  of  Electronics  & Information  Technology  is  also  setting  up  Wi-Fi  Choupals  under  BharatNet  in  the country targeted to be implemented by September, 2017. Details including Maharashtra is at Annexure-II .

## Annexure-I

## BSNL Rural Telephone Exchanges where Wi-fi will be set up

| S.No.   | Telecom Circle/ Telecom District   |   No. of Rural Teleph one Exchanges |
|---------|------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
| 1       | Andaman& Nicobar                   |                                  44 |
| 2       | Andhra Pradesh& Telangana          |                                2519 |
| 3       | Assam                              |                                 400 |
| 4       | Bihar                              |                                 963 |
| 5       | Chhattisgarh                       |                                 356 |
| 6       | Gujarat                            |                                1881 |
| 7       | Haryana                            |                                 796 |
| 8       | Himachal Pradesh                   |                                 946 |
| 9       | Jammu& Kashmir                     |                                 204 |
| 10      | Jharkhand                          |                                 293 |
| 11      | Karnataka                          |                                2199 |
| 12      | Kerala                             |                                1049 |
| 13      | Madhya Pradesh                     |                                1793 |
| 14      | Maharashtra                        |                                3832 |
| 15      | North East-I                       |                                 129 |
| 16      | North East-ll                      |                                 142 |
| 17      | Odisha                             |                                 811 |
| 18      | Punjab                             |                                1194 |
| 19      | Rajasthan                          |                                1672 |
| 20      | Tamil Nadu                         |                                1195 |
| 21      | Uttar Pradesh(E)                   |                                1542 |
| 22      | Uttar Pradesh(W)                   |                                 503 |
| 23      | Uttarakhand                        |                                 315 |
| 24      | West Bengal                        |                                1127 |
| 25      | Chennai                            |                                  80 |
|         | Total                              |                               25985 |

## Annexure-II

## Wi-Fi Choupals by CSC-SPV under BharatNet Scheme

| SL. No   | STATE          |   Gram Panchayats |
|----------|----------------|-------------------|
| 1        | Bihar          |               316 |
| 2        | Chandigarh     |                12 |
| 3        | Chhattisgarh   |               797 |
| 4        | Jharkhand      |               313 |
| 5        | Karnataka      |               178 |
| 6        | Kerala         |                25 |
| 7        | Madhya Pradesh |              1422 |
| 8        | Maharashtra    |               137 |
| 9        | Odisha         |               111 |
| 10       | Puducherry     |                93 |
| 11       | Uttar Pradesh  |              1268 |
| 12       | Uttarakhand    |               417 |
|          | Total          |              5089 |

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