Lok Sabha Question No. 4565 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-12-14
Subject: Mobile Penetration
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: PREM DAS RAI

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.4565 TO BE ANSWERED ON 14 TH   DECEMBER, 2016

## MOBILE PENETRATION

4565. SHRI PREM DAS RAI:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) the  trend  of  mobile  phone  penetration  in  the  country  aggregated  by  States, State-wise;
- (b) the steps taken to improve mobile communication penetration in North Eastern Regions (NER);
- (c) whether the mobile penetration is likely to be adversely affected due to likely increase in mobile handset costs as a result of new security features; and
- (d) if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the  action  taken  by  the  Government  in  this regard?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) The service area wise number of mobile telephone connections in the country during  the  last  three  years  and  the  current  year  as  on  31.10.2016  are  given  in  the Annexure.
- (b) The Cabinet approved  a Comprehensive Telecom Development Plan for the North  East  Region  (  NER)  on  10.9.2014  with  a  total  estimated  project  cost  of  Rs. 5336.18 crore, to be funded from Universal Service Obligation  Fund (USOF).  The plan objectives include providing mobile coverage in 8621 uncovered villages of NER, installing  321  mobile  towers  for  providing  seamless  mobile  coverage  along  the National  Highways    and  laying  3213  kms  of  Optical  Fiber  Cable  between  State capitals and district headquarters  for zstrengthening the transmission network  in the region.
- (c) The  new  security  features  may  not  necessarily  lead  to  increase  in  mobile handset  costs.  Mobile  penetration  also depends  on  several  other  factors  like Government policies, Tariff, Quality of Service provided by operators etc. Therefore, the impact of security features on mobile penetration cannot be assessed in isolation.
- (d) Does not arise in view of above.

***********

## ANNEXURE

Service  area  wise  number  of  mobile  telephone  connections  during  the  last three years and the current year as on 30.09.2016 in the country:

(figures  in Million)

| Sr. No.                 | Service area   | As on 31.03.2014   |   As on 31.03.2015 | As on 31.03.2016   | As on 31.10.2016   |
|-------------------------|----------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
| 1 Andhra Pradesh        |                | 67.15              |              71.95 | 74.65 74.02        |                    |
| 2                       | Assam          | 15.28              |              17.15 | 18.56              | 19.74              |
| 3 Bihar                 | 61.59          |                    |              69.31 | 74.51              | 76.29              |
| 4 Gujarat               | 54.54          | 58.56              |              62.27 |                    | 62.16              |
| Haryana                 | 21.25          | 22.01              |              23.26 | 21.70              | 5                  |
| Himachal Pradesh        | 7.12           | 7.86               |               8.89 | 9.15               | 6                  |
| Jammu & Kashmir         | 7.94           | 9.31               |               9.82 | 10.00              | 7                  |
| Karnataka               | 54.32          | 58.05              |              61.34 | 61.79              | 8                  |
| Kerala                  | 31.12          | 31.35              |              34.31 | 35.16              | 9                  |
| Madhya Pradesh          | 55.48          | 60.60              |              65.67 | 61.71              | 10                 |
| Maharashtra             | 72.59          | 76.94              |              84.1  | 84.32              | 11                 |
| North East              | 9.41           | 10.50              |              11.07 | 11.74              | 12                 |
| Odisha                  | 25.13          | 27.87              |              29.06 | 30.59              | 13                 |
| Punjab                  | 31.21          | 30.63              |              31.75 | 32.63              | 14                 |
| Rajasthan               | 52.65          | 55.21              |              60.09 | 60.42              | 15                 |
| Tamil Nadu              | 75.17          | 80.32              |              81.35 | 80.84              | 16                 |
| 17 Uttar Pradesh (East) | 76.98          | 83.40              |              92.24 |                    | 94.61              |
| 18 Uttar Pradesh (West) | 48.76          | 52.02              |              57.6  | 57.90              |                    |
| 19 West Bengal          | 42.29          | 47.07              |              49.5  |                    | 51.82              |
| 20 Kolkata              | 21.07          | 22.56              |              25.03 |                    | 25.18              |
| 21 Delhi                | 42.58          | 46.19              |              47.24 |                    | 45.22              |
| 22 Mumbai               | 30.89          | 30.67              |              31.8  |                    | 31.35              |
|                         | Total          | 904.52             |             969.54 | 1034.11            | 1038.34            |

Source: DoT compiled data