Lok Sabha Question No. 3495 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-08-08
Subject: Mobile Connectivity in Uttar Pradesh
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: VINOD KUMAR SONKAR

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3495 TO BE ANSWERED ON 8 TH   AUGUST, 2018

## MOBILE CONNECTIVITY IN UTTAR PRADESH

†3495. SHRI VINOD KUMAR SONKAR:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether sufficient network range is available for providing easy connectivity in all the areas in Uttar Pradesh;
- (b) if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (c) whether  effective  steps  are  being  taken  by  the  Government  for  addressing  the complaints regarding the services of BSNL in the rural areas of Uttar Pradesh and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

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

(a) & (b) The  Government  is  making  all  efforts  along  with  the  stakeholders,  to provide  affordable  tele-connectivity  to  all  inhabited  areas  of  the  country  including  the State of Uttar Pradesh (UP).

As  a  result  of  the  continuous  efforts  put-in  by  the  Government  and  Telecom Service Providers (TSPs), there has been an addition of about 1.2 lakh Base Transceiver Stations  (BTS)  in  UP  for  GSM,  3G,  &  4G  services  during  April  2014  to  July  2018. Accordingly, total tele-density of wireless subscribers has shown an increase from 57.27 % in March 2014 to 70.86 % in March 2018. A total of 97518 villages out of total 97813 inhabited villages in UP have registered mobile service connectivity, as on 28 th  July 2018.

However, Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected areas and sparsely populated rural areas in the State pose some challenges for installation & operations of mobile networks on sustainable basis. Hence, the Government has provided necessary support through Universal  Services  Obligation  Fund  (USOF).  As  a  result,  78  BTS  have  been  already installed under Phase-I in Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected areas of UP and approval for additional 179 tower-locations under Phase-II has been accorded.

As  part  of  on-going  Bharat-Net  project  to  connect  250,000  GPs  in  the  country, Optical Fiber Cable has been laid to connect 27999 Gram Panchayats (GPs) in UP out of

which 27843 GPs are service-ready, as on 29 th  July 2018. This infrastructure is available to all TSPs on non-discriminatory basis. Besides, public Wi-Fi hotspots are being set-up to provide internet services at village-level under which 9278 hotspots have already been set-up under 'Wi-Fi Choupal' scheme.

(c) In  order  to  provide  effective  redressal  to  consumer  grievances,  M/s  Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), has set-up the procedure of handling the grievances in accordance with  'The  Telecom  Consumers Complaint  Redressal  Regulations  2012'  as notified by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).

Every complaint at Complaint Centre (Call Centre) is registered by giving Unique Docket Number, which is maintained in the system for at least three months and can be monitored online by the customer to ascertain its status.

As per TRAI Performance Indicator Report for quarter ending March 2018, BSNL complies with all 'Customer Quality Service Parameters' for mobile services in the State of Uttar Pradesh.

BSNL provides telecom services in 90,573 villages in UP, as on 31 st  May 2018. It has undertaken further network expansion to improve services and reduce complaints. Addition of 4570 BTS (2457 for 2G and 2113 for 3G services) is on-going, out of which 1902 BTS have been installed by 30 th  June 2018.

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