Lok Sabha Question No. 2429 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-08-01
Subject: BSNL Telephone Exchanges in Rural Areas
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: RAMDAS CHANDRABHANJI TADAS, CHANDRA PRAKASH JOSHI

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2429 TO BE ANSWERED ON 1 ST  AUGUST, 2018

## BSNL TELEPHONE EXCHANGES IN RURAL AREAS

†2429. SHRI RAMDAS C. TADAS: SHRI CHANDRA PRAKASH JOSHI:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  prepared  any  action  plan  to  provide  public  Wi-Fi facility at 25,000 telephone exchanges of BSNL in rural areas;
- (b) if so, the State-wise details of the said villages along with the details of villages of Rajasthan and Maharashtra in which the public Wi-Fi facility is proposed to be provided;
- (c) the State-wise details of rural telephone exchanges of BSNL equipped with Wi-Fi facilities;
- (d) the number of rural telephone exchanges at which public Wi-Fi facility is proposed to be provided by the Government till 2019;
- (e) whether the Government has prepared any scheme to meet this target; and
- (f) 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) Yes, Madam. Wi-Fi hotspots are being set up by using the infrastructure of BSNL at  its  25,000  Telephone  Exchanges in  rural  areas  at  an estimated  cost  Rs.  943  crore, funded by USOF.
- (b) to (d) Details are at Annexure-I.
- (e) & (f) On the basis  of  list  of  rural  Telephone  Exchanges  ascertained  by  BSNL, this  scheme  has  been  approved  in  DOT.  The  funds  have  been  provided  by  USOF  to BSNL  for  the  implementation  of  scheme.  Wi-Fi  facility  has  been  setup  in  4482 exchanges.

## (Annexure-I)

| S.No.   | State                      |   Villages where public Wi-Fi facility is proposed under the USOF Schemes |   Rural telephone exchanges of BSNL equipped with Wi-Fi facilities under the USOF Schemes |   Number of rural telephone exchanges at which public Wi-Fi facility is proposed to be provided by the Govt. under the USOF Schemes |
|---------|----------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1       | Assam                      |                                                                       398 |                                                                                       279 |                                                                                                                                 119 |
| 2       | Bihar                      |                                                                       950 |                                                                                         9 |                                                                                                                                 941 |
| 3       | Jharkhand                  |                                                                       199 |                                                                                        65 |                                                                                                                                 134 |
| 4       | North East I*              |                                                                       129 |                                                                                        66 |                                                                                                                                  63 |
| 5       | North East II*             |                                                                        57 |                                                                                        57 |                                                                                                                                   0 |
| 6       | Odisha                     |                                                                       801 |                                                                                       122 |                                                                                                                                 679 |
| 7       | West Bengal                |                                                                      1112 |                                                                                        20 |                                                                                                                                1092 |
| 8       | Haryana                    |                                                                       791 |                                                                                       188 |                                                                                                                                 603 |
| 9       | Himachal Pradesh           |                                                                       719 |                                                                                       234 |                                                                                                                                 485 |
| 10      | Jammu & Kashmir            |                                                                       205 |                                                                                        64 |                                                                                                                                 141 |
| 11      | Punjab                     |                                                                      1208 |                                                                                       410 |                                                                                                                                 798 |
| 12      | Rajasthan                  |                                                                      1679 |                                                                                       148 |                                                                                                                                1531 |
| 13      | UP (East)                  |                                                                      1550 |                                                                                       251 |                                                                                                                                1299 |
| 14      | UP (West)                  |                                                                       873 |                                                                                       271 |                                                                                                                                 602 |
| 15      | Uttarakhand                |                                                                       429 |                                                                                       153 |                                                                                                                                 276 |
| 16      | Chhattisgarh               |                                                                       300 |                                                                                        80 |                                                                                                                                 220 |
| 17      | Gujarat                    |                                                                      1850 |                                                                                       278 |                                                                                                                                1572 |
| 18      | Madhya Pradesh             |                                                                       850 |                                                                                       166 |                                                                                                                                 684 |
| 19      | Maharashtra                |                                                                      3800 |                                                                                       224 |                                                                                                                                3576 |
| 20      | Karnataka                  |                                                                      2150 |                                                                                       392 |                                                                                                                                1758 |
| 21 22   | Andhra Pradesh & Telangana |                                                                      2650 |                                                                                       334 |                                                                                                                                2316 |
| 23      | Kerala                     |                                                                      1070 |                                                                                       450 |                                                                                                                                 620 |
| 24      | Chennai Telecom District   |                                                                        80 |                                                                                        50 |                                                                                                                                  30 |
| 25      | Tamil Nadu                 |                                                                      1150 |                                                                                       155 |                                                                                                                                 995 |
|         | Total                      |                                                                     25000 |                                                                                      4466 |                                                                                                                               20534 |

*NE-I:  Mizoram, Tripura & Meghalaya

*NE-II: Nagaland, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh

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