Lok Sabha Question No. 83 (STARRED), answered on 2017-02-08
Subject: Internet Penetration
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: K. ASHOK KUMAR, NALIN KUMAR KATEEL

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.83 TO BE ANSWERED ON 8 TH  FEBRUARY, 2017

## INTERNET PENETRATION

- *83. SHRI K. ASHOK KUMAR: SHRI NALIN KUMAR KATEEL:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether low internet penetration in India has adversely affected Digital India initiative and less cash economy and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the percentage of internet service users in India, both mobile and landline, State-wise;
- (c) whether the Government has assessed the need to augment telecom infrastructure so as to provide internet services in villages, small towns and cities;
- (d) if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  the  present  status  of  the  internet  accessed  in villages, towns and cities, State-wise; and
- (e) whether  the  Government  is  taking  steps  to  make  available  quality  internet  facilities through various ways to enable the people to easily take part in the digitized world and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) to (e) A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT  TO  BE  LAID  ON  THE  TABLE  OF  THE  LOK  SABHA  IN  RESPECT  OF PARTS (a) TO (e) OF LOK  SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.83 FOR 8 TH   FEBRUARY, 2017 REGARDING 'INTERNET PENETRATION'.

- (a) Internet  connectivity  is  being  strengthened  for  less  cash  economy.  Low  internet penetration can affect Digital India initiatives. In the absence of internet facility to the users, eGovernance services are not accessible to them.
- (b) Service Area-wise details of the percentage of the internet subscribers including both mobile  and  landline,  as  on  30.09.2016,  as  reported  by  Service  Providers  to  Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) are enclosed at Annexure-I.
- (c) & (d) The Government has assessed the need to augment telecom infrastructure to provide internet services upto Gram Panchayats and the BharatNet project has been planned to be implemented in 3 phases for this purpose. This project has been planned to establish the  network  infrastructure by connecting  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 for providing broadband connectivity by all categories of service providers on non-discriminatory basis.

Under first phase of the BharatNet project, 1 lakh Gram Panchayats (GPs) are to be connected by laying underground OFC by March 2017. 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,  by  December,  2018.  Future  proof network  with  ring  topology  between  districts  and  blocks  and  blocks  and  GPs  will  be implemented in Phase-III.

As  on  29.01.2017,  Optical  Fibre  Cable  (OFC)  has  been  laid  to  76,089  Gram Panchayats (GPs) with a total length of 1,72,257 Kms. Out of these, 16,355 GPs have been provided with broadband connectivity.

The augmentation of telecom infrastructure to provide  internet  services  in  cities  and towns is left to the telecom service providers for their commercial decision and it is expected that competition in the market will drive them to roll out networks which provide better internet service.

Present  status  of  service  area-wise  internet  subscribers,  as  on  30.09.2016,  as reported by Service Providers to Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is enclosed at Annexure-II. Village, town and city wise details are not maintained.

- (e)        In  addition  to  above,  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  3G  and  4G  services  which  will  improve availability of quality internet facilities to enable  the people  to easily access  digital applications.

Contd……..3/-

## Annexure-I

Service Area wise percentage Internet Subscribers (mobile+landline) per 100 population as on 30 th September, 2016

| Service Area       | Internet subscribers per 100 population   |
|--------------------|-------------------------------------------|
| Andhra Pradesh     | 30.94                                     |
| Assam              | 22.20                                     |
| Bihar              | 15.26                                     |
| Delhi              | 102.89                                    |
| Gujarat            | 36.21                                     |
| Haryana            | 29.95                                     |
| Himachal Pradesh   | 46.12                                     |
| Jammu & Kashmir    | 14.25                                     |
| Karnataka          | 38.23                                     |
| Kerala             | 45.36                                     |
| Madhya Pradesh     | 21.27                                     |
| Maharashtra Mumbai | 38.39                                     |
| North East         | 30.88                                     |
| Orissa             | 21.21                                     |
| Punjab             | 47.35                                     |
| Rajasthan          | 24.96                                     |
| Tamil Nadu         | 40.93                                     |
| UP (East)          | 17.97                                     |
| UP (West)          |                                           |
| Kolkata            | 27.38                                     |
| West Bengal        | 28.77                                     |
| Total              |                                           |

## Notes:

1.  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 North-East includes Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland & Tripura states.

Contd/elipsis/elipsis..4/-

## Annexure-II

## Present status of service area-wise internet subscribers(mobile+landline) per 100 population as on 30 th September, 2016

| Service Area     |   Internet subscribers in million |
|------------------|-----------------------------------|
| Andhra Pradesh   |                             27.46 |
| Assam            |                              7.25 |
| Bihar            |                             21.13 |
| Delhi            |                             22.27 |
| Gujarat          |                             23.17 |
| Haryana          |                              8.3  |
| Himachal Pradesh |                              3.29 |
| Jammu & Kashmir  |                              1.78 |
| Karnataka        |                             23.96 |
| Kerala           |                             16.27 |
| Madhya Pradesh   |                             22.24 |
| Maharashtra      |                             30.62 |
| Mumbai           |                             16.57 |
| North East       |                              4.33 |
| Orissa           |                              9.05 |
| Punjab           |                             14.72 |
| Rajasthan        |                             18.35 |
| Tamil Nadu       |                             29.18 |
| UP (East)        |                             24.5  |
| UP (West)        |                             16.96 |
| Kolkata          |                             10.12 |
| West Bengal      |                             15.94 |
| Total            |                            367.48 |

## Notes:

1.  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 North-East includes Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland & Tripura states.

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