Lok Sabha Question No. 482 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-07-19
Subject: Landline Connections
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: DILIP KUMAR MANSUKHLAL GANDHI

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.482 TO BE ANSWERED ON 19 th  JULY, 2017

## LANDLINE CONNECTIONS

## 482.   SHRI DILIPKUMAR MANSUKHLAL GANDHI:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the number of landline connection has reduced in the country and if so, the details thereof including the total landline functional connections during each of the last three years and the current year, State/UT-wise;
- (b) the number of functional landline connection in Ahmednagar district of State of Maharashtra; and
- (c) the steps taken by the Government to popularise the landline connection in the country?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) The number of landline connections have reduced in the country.  State/Circle (Service  Area)  wise  details  of  wireline  subscriber  base  for  last  three  years  and  the current year is at Annexure-I.
- (b) The year-wise details of functional landline connections in Ahmednagar district of State of Maharashtra are as under:
- (c) Steps taken by Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) and other Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) to popularize the landline connections are as under:
- (i) Various attractive  tariff  plans  including  free  night  calling  plans  have  been introduced.
- (ii) Publicity of various tariff plans through print media, Television advertisements, FM Channels, outdoors hoardings and digital media.
- (iii) Revival of closed connections through various schemes.

| S. No.   | Name of Telecom Service Providers (TSP)        | Number of landline connections   | Number of landline connections   | Number of landline connections   | Number of landline connections   |
|----------|------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
| S. No.   | Name of Telecom Service Providers (TSP)        | As on 31.12.2014                 | As on 31.12.2015                 | As on 31.12.2016                 | As on 30.06.2017                 |
| 1        | Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL)            | 67,270                           | 60,453                           | 56,652                           | 54,626                           |
| 2        | Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) Limited (TTML) | 30                               | 99                               | 168                              | 97                               |
| 3        | Reliance Communications (RCOM)                 | 77                               | 91                               | 106                              | 109                              |

## State/Circle/Service-Area wise landline subscriber base

| S.No   | State/Circle (Service Area)   | As on 31.03.2015   | As on 31.03.2016   | As on 31.03.2017   | As on 31.05.2017   |
|--------|-------------------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
| 1      | Andhra Pradesh                | 18,68,687          | 17,35,905          | 16,37,790          | 16,19,198          |
| 2      | Assam                         | 1,67,434           | 1,60,542           | 1,55,445           | 1,52,446           |
| 3      | Bihar                         | 3,59,290           | 3,32,038           | 3,14,982           | 3,04,053           |
| 4      | Delhi                         | 31,41,362          | 31,71,185          | 32,22,678          | 32,21,342          |
| 5      | Gujarat                       | 15,52,403          | 14,09,089          | 13,56,154          | 13,22,388          |
| 6      | Haryana                       | 4,06,231           | 3,69,330           | 3,45,736           | 3,34,887           |
| 7      | Himachal Pradesh              | 2,08,202           | 1,71,209           | 1,49,347           | 1,44,152           |
| 8      | Jammu & Kashmir               | 1,49,349           | 1,31,214           | 1,34,283           | 1,29,074           |
| 9      | Karnataka                     | 22,77,942          | 22,55,386          | 22,44,432          | 22,64,454          |
| 10     | Kerala                        | 25,87,400          | 22,97,179          | 21,11,703          | 20,93,657          |
| 11     | Kolkata                       | 10,03,973          | 9,09,109           | 8,58,939           | 8,45,330           |
| 12     | Madhya Pradesh                | 11,05,542          | 10,41,590          | 10,23,788          | 10,13,467          |
| 13     | Maharashtra                   | 21,16,520          | 19,87,220          | 18,79,865          | 18,65,509          |
| 14     | Mumbai                        | 30,63,521          | 30,38,898          | 30,42,359          | 30,40,601          |
| 15     | North East States             | 1,27,264           | 1,24,327           | 1,20,982           | 1,18,269           |
| 16     | Odisha                        | 3,18,227           | 3,06,495           | 2,92,156           | 2,84,138           |
| 17     | Punjab                        | 11,20,237          | 10,60,068          | 10,06,783          | 9,81,552           |
| 18     | Rajasthan                     | 8,23,020           | 7,86,448           | 7,38,474           | 7,18,259           |
| 19     | Tamil Nadu (incl. Chennai)    | 27,59,189          | 26,40,298          | 25,47,792          | 25,12,177          |
| 20     | Uttar Pradesh (East)          | 5,14,549           | 5,03,007           | 4,94,640           | 4,86,846           |
| 21     | Uttar Pradesh (West)          | 4,82,623           | 4,27,420           | 3,96,394           | 3,85,844           |
| 22     | West Bengal                   | 4,41,379           | 3,66,611           | 3,25,905           | 3,20,207           |
|        | Total                         | 2,65,94,344        | 2,52,24,568        | 2,44,00,627        | 2,41,57,850        |

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## Annexure-I