Lok Sabha Question No. 2589 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-12-04
Subject: Telecom Connectivity in Telangana
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Bheemrao Baswanthrao Patil

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2589 TO BE ANSWERED ON 4 TH   DECEMBER, 2019

## TELECOM CONNECTIVITY IN TELANGANA

## 2589. SHRI B.B.PATIL:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government proposes to take any steps to accelerate telecom connectivity in rural and remote areas across the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and the steps taken by the Government in this regard;
- (c) whether any such areas have been identified by the Government in the State of Telangana and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) whether any time-frame has been chalked out by the Government for this purpose and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS, LAW & JUSTICE AND ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI RAVI SHANKAR PRASAD)

(a) & (b) To  accelerate  telecom  connectivity  in  rural  and  remote  areas  across  the  country, following projects are approved by the Government:

- (i) Under Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected areas Phase-I project, 2,355 towers at a cost of Rs.3,591.22 crore have been installed by Government of India. Under LWE Phase-II project, installation of 2,217 mobile towers at an estimated cost of Rs.2,194.83 crore has been approved for providing mobile connectivity covering the States of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal;
- (ii) Mobile  connectivity  in  354  villages  of  uncovered  border  areas  including  Ladakh  and Kargil  Region,  Himachal  Pradesh,  Uttarakhand  and  other  priority  areas  at  an  estimated cost of Rs. 384.01 crore has also been approved;
- (iii) A  Comprehensive  Telecom  Development  Plan  for  mobile  connectivity  in  the  North Eastern Region to provide mobile coverage in uncovered villages and alongwith National Highways and to augment transmission network;
- (iv) Under BharatNet project, broadband connectivity in all the Gram Panchayats (approx. 2.5 lakh) in the country at an estimated cost of Rs.42,068 crore;

- (v) Laying  of  submarine  optical  fibre  cable  between  Chennai  and  Andaman  &  Nicobar Islands for providing connectivity to Andaman & Nicobar Islands;
- (vi) Mobile connectivity to cover uncovered villages and along National Highway (NH 223) in Andaman & Nicobar Islands;
- (vii) Mobile connectivity has been enhanced in Lakshadweep Islands by installing 10 mobile towers;
- (viii) Satellite bandwidth augmentation upto 4 Gbps for Andaman & Nicobar Islands;
- (ix) Satellite bandwidth augmentation upto 1.71 Gbps for Lakshadweep Islands.

(c)  &  (d)    As  per  data  collected  from  the  Telecom  Service  Providers  (TSPs)  and  Department  of Telecommunications (DoT) field units in 2019, it is estimated that out of 10,128 inhabited villages (as  per  census  2011)  in  the  State  of  Telangana,  there  are  110  villages  which  are  not  covered  by mobile services. Mobile coverage in these uncovered villages is being provided in a phased manner including  connectivity  to  Gram  Panchayats  under  BharatNet  project.  Under  Left  Wing  Extremism affected areas Phase-II project, tender for installation of towers at 53 locations has been floated for providing mobile coverage.

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