Lok Sabha Question No. 6157 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-04-04
Subject: Internet Penetration
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: P. KUMAR, MEENAKASHI LEKHI

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.6157 TO BE ANSWERED ON 4 TH  APRIL, 2018

## INTERNET PENETRATION

6157.  SHRI P. KUMAR: SHRIMATI MEENAKASHI LEKHI:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the internet penetration has increased in rural areas of the country and if so, the details thereof during each of the last three years;
- (b) the internet penetration rate in the country, State/UT-wise;
- (c) the action taken by the Government to increase the coverage and affordability of internet services;
- (d) whether the existing regulatory mechanism is unfavourable for the expansion of Wi-Fi networks and if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor; and
- (e) the steps 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) As per 'The Indian Telecom Services Performance Indicators' reports published by  Telecom  Regulatory  Authority  of  India  (TRAI),  the  internet  penetration  (Internet Subscribers per 100 population) in the rural areas of the country for the Quarter ending December'2015,  December'2016  and  December'2017  was  12.86,  13.08  and  14.89 respectively.

- (b) Licensed service area wise internet penetration rate (internet subscribers per 100 population) in the country as on 31 st December' 2017, as published by TRAI in its report dated  26 th  March  2018  on  'The  Indian  Telecom  Services  Performance  Indicators'  for the period October - December' 2017 is enclosed in Annexure.
- (c) Government has allocated 965 MHz spectrum through auction in October 2016 to  various  telecom  service  providers  for  access  services  in  the  country.  Telecom Service Providers are continuously rolling out their networks using spectrum available with  them,  which  is  resulting  into  proliferation  of  affordable  internet  services  and widening of internet coverage.

Further,  for  rural  areas,  Government  has  planned  the  BharatNet  project  to provide 100 Mbps broadband connectivity to all Gram Panchayats (GPs) (approx. 2.5 lakh) in the country by using an optimal mix of underground fibre, fibre over power lines, radio  and  satellite  media  to  be  completed  by  March  2019  in  a  phased  manner.  As on 25.03.2018, by laying 2,68,963 km Optical Fibre Cable (OFC), a total of 1,13,964 GPs   have  been  connected,   out  of  which  1,04,889  Gram  Panchayats  have been made Service Ready.

(d) No  Madam.  The existing  regulatory  mechanism  is  not  unfavourable  for  the expansion of Wi-Fi networks in the country.

- (e) Under  Universal  Service  Obligation  Fund  (USOF)  scheme  for  setting  up Wi-Fi Choupals at 5,000 Gram Panchayats (GPs) through Common Service Centre - Special Purpose Vehicle (CSC-SPV) of Ministry of Electronics & IT, Wi-Fi Choupals have been installed in 5000 GPs, of which service delivery has commenced in 1833 GPs.

Further,  under  USOF's  other  scheme  for  setting  up  public  Wi-Fi  hotspots  at BSNL's 25,000 telephone exchanges in rural areas, at 2429 exchanges Wi-Fi hotspots have been installed and service delivery has commenced.

As  part  of  BharatNet  Project,  the  last  mile  connectivity,  through Wi-Fi  or  any other suitable broadband technology, is to be provided at all the GPs in the country. The project is targeted to be completed by March 2019.

Licensed service area wise internet penetration (internet subscribers per 100 population) in the country as on 31 st December, 2017

| License Service Area                                | number of internet subscribers per 100 population   |
|-----------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------|
| Andhra Pradesh                                      | 38.28                                               |
| Assam                                               | 25.58                                               |
| Bihar                                               | 16.83                                               |
| Delhi                                               | 125.86                                              |
| Gujarat                                             | 44.36                                               |
| Haryana                                             | 37.77                                               |
| Himachal Pradesh                                    | 54.12                                               |
| Jammu & Kashmir                                     | 39.70                                               |
| Karnataka                                           | 47.30                                               |
| Kerala                                              | 52.42                                               |
| Madhya Pradesh                                      | 21.80                                               |
| Maharashtra                                         | 46.77                                               |
| Mumbai                                              |                                                     |
| North East                                          | 36.51                                               |
| Orissa                                              | 24.23                                               |
| Punjab                                              | 54.84                                               |
| Rajasthan                                           | 31.44                                               |
| Tamil Nadu                                          | 47.99                                               |
| Uttar Pradesh (East)                                | 22.17                                               |
| Uttar Pradesh (West)                                |                                                     |
| Kolkata                                             | 30.76                                               |
| West Bengal                                         |                                                     |
| Total (Overall Internet penetration in the country) | 34.42                                               |

Notes:  Data/information for Andhra Pradesh includes Telengana, Madhya Pradesh  includes  Chhatisgarh,  Bihar  includes  Jharkhand,  Maharashtra includes  Goa,  Uttar  Pradesh  (West)  includes  Uttarakhand,  West  Bengal includes  Sikkim  and  North-East  includes  Arunachal  Pradesh,  Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland & Tripura states.

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