Lok Sabha Question No. 6101 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-04-04
Subject: Communication Network in West Bengal
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: SUNIL KUMAR MONDAL

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.6101 TO BE ANSWERED ON 4 TH  APRIL, 2018

## COMMUNICATION NETWORK IN WEST BENGAL

## 6101. SHRI SUNIL KUMAR MONDAL:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

(a) whether  the  Government  has  any  data  regarding  percentage  of  coverage  of communication network in West Bengal;

- (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 West Bengal?

## ANSWER

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

(a) & (b) A communication network basically includes 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 in the Department service area wise  and  not  district  wise.  The  number  of  connections,  teledensity  (percentage  of population  covered)  and  the  percentage  share  of  West  Bengal  Service  Area  in  total number of connections in India as on 31 st  January 2018 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 in Total telephone connection in India ( in %)   |
|----------------|---------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|-----------------------|--------------------------------------------------------|
| Service Area   | Rural                                 | Urban                                 | Total                                 | Wireline                              | Wireless                              | Teledensity ( in %)   | Share in Total telephone connection in India ( in %)   |
| West Bengal*   | 38.94                                 | 17.69                                 | 56.63                                 | 0.28                                  | 56.35                                 | 70.68                 | 4.82                                                   |
| Kolkata        | 2.93                                  | 24.97                                 | 27.90                                 | 0.82                                  | 27.08                                 | 172.72                | 2.37                                                   |
| Total          | 41.87                                 | 42.66                                 | 84.53                                 | 1.10                                  | 83.43                                 | 87.80                 | 7.19                                                   |

* West Bengal service area includes the entire area falling within the Union Territory of Andaman & Nicobar Islands and area falling within the State of West Bengal and the State of Sikkim and excludes the areas covered by Kolkata Metro Service Area.

(c) USOF is funding the implementation of projects to provide mobile connectivity in remote  and  rural  uncovered  areas.  A  project  to  provide  mobile  service  in  LWE  (Left Wing Extremism) affected areas of West Bengal is being implemented. Under Phase-I of this project 96 towers have been set up and are radiating.  Under Phase-II a proposal to  provide  mobile  services  at  207  locations,  identified  by  Ministry  of  Home  Affairs (MHA), has been taken up for consideration.

In addition, under the flagship programme BharatNet, the Government plans to create network infrastructure for providing Broadband connectivity to all  Gram Panchayats  (GPs)  (approx.  2,50,000)  in  the  country,  including  West  Bengal.  As  on 25-03-2018,  a  total  of  2092  Gram  Panchayats  (GPs)  in  West  Bengal  have  been connected, of which 2020 GPs have been made service ready.

***************