Lok Sabha Question No. 3907 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-12-11
Subject: Network Coverage and Availability of Spectrum
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Sanjay(Kaka) Ramchandra Patil

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3907 TO BE ANSWERED ON 11 TH   DECEMBER, 2019

## NETWORK COVERAGE AND AVAILABILITY OF SPECTRUM

## 3907. SHRI SANJAY KAKA PATIL:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) the steps taken by the Government to ensure a seamless network cover across the country to provide reliable data and voice;
- (b) whether  the  Government  is  emulating  the  Australian  model  of  standard  Spectrum  Trading Unit and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the current base price of spectrum in the country;
- (d) whether any subsidy/incentive has been provided by the Government to ensure availability of spectrum for rural areas and if so, the details thereof;
- (e) whether the spectrum for rural areas is as expensive as the spectrum for urban areas and if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;
- (f) the details of compensation to customers provided by telecom companies for failing to deliver quality data and not following internet-mobile plans as per customer's choice; and
- (g) the  current  status  of  Universal  Service  Obligation  Fund  (USOF)  along  with  the  fund  spent from USOF during each of the last three years?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMUNICATIONS, HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI SANJAY DHOTRE)

- (a) The Government has taken several policy initiatives to facilitate infrastructure growth which include permitting trading/sharing/ liberalisation of spectrum, permitting passive & active infrastructure  sharing,  notification  of  Right  of  Way  Rules  2016,  making  available  government land/buildings  for  installations  of  towers  etc.  As  a  result,  around  15.57  lakh  additional  Base Transceiver  Stations  (BTSs)  for  2G/3G/4G-LTE  services  have  been  added  by  Telecom  Service Providers (TSPs) during the period from April 2014 (6.49 lakh BTS) to 30 th  November, 2019 (22.06 lakh BTS) and 1.67 lakh mobile towers have been added during the period from Dec' 2015 (4.15 lakh)  to  30 th November  2019 (5.82 lakh mobile  towers)  across  the  country.  Also,  total  number  of Internet  subscriber  has  increased  to  665.31  million  (in  June,  2019)  from  259.14  million  (in  June, 2014).

As regards, the steps to ensure seamless network cover across the country to provide reliable data and voice Quality of Service, close monitoring of performance of service providers, against the benchmarks for various Quality of Service parameters laid down by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), follow up actions with service providers for improving quality of service, Audit and Assessment  of  Quality  of  Service  through  independent  agencies,  Drive  Tests  etc.  are  being  done. Further,  publication  of  performance  report  of  service  providers,  results  of  Audit  &  Assessment  of Quality  of  Service  on  TRAI  website  namely  www.trai.gov.in  for  information  of  stakeholders  are forcing the service providers to improve its service.

(b)&(c) The Government had sought the recommendations of TRAI. TRAI in its recommendations  has  noted  the  Spectrum  Trading  practices  in  a  number  of  countries  including Australia. Based on the recommendations and other considerations, the final decision on Spectrum Trading  was  taken  by  the  Government.  Reserve  Price  of  Spectrum  in  various  bands  is  given  at Annexure-I.

(d) No subsidy/incentive has been provided by the Government to ensure availability of spectrum for rural areas.

(e) There is no difference between urban and rural areas as far as pricing of spectrum is concerned.

(f)   No compensation has been provided so far.

(g) A balance of an amount of ` 52907 Crore is available in  the  Universal  Service  Obligation Fund  (USOF)  at  the  end  of  October  2019.  Fund  disbursed  during  last  three  years  is  given  at Annexure-II .

## Annexure-I

Annexure referred to in reply of paras (b) & (c) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 3907 to be  answered on 11th  December, 2019 raised by Hon'ble Member of Parliament Shri Sanjay Kaka Patil, regarding 'Network Coverage and Availability of Spectrum'

| Local Service Area (LSA)   | Reserve Price of Spectrum Bands per MHz (In Rs. Crore)   | Reserve Price of Spectrum Bands per MHz (In Rs. Crore)   | Reserve Price of Spectrum Bands per MHz (In Rs. Crore)   | Reserve Price of Spectrum Bands per MHz (In Rs. Crore)   | Reserve Price of Spectrum Bands per MHz (In Rs. Crore)   | Reserve Price of Spectrum Bands per MHz (In Rs. Crore)   | Reserve Price of Spectrum Bands per MHz (In Rs. Crore)   | Reserve Price of Spectrum Bands per MHz (In Rs. Crore)   |
|----------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------|
| Local Service Area (LSA)   | 700 MHz                                                  | 800 MHz                                                  | 900 MHz                                                  | 1800 MHz                                                 | 2100 MHz                                                 | 2300 MHz                                                 | 2500 MHz                                                 | 3300- 3600 MHz                                           |
| Andhra Pradesh             | 557                                                      | 390                                                      | 417                                                      | 279                                                      | 185                                                      | 78                                                       | 78                                                       | 42                                                       |
| Assam                      | 92                                                       | 64                                                       | 83                                                       | 46                                                       | 30                                                       | 2                                                        |                                                          | 7                                                        |
| Bihar                      | 175                                                      | 136                                                      | 201                                                      | 88                                                       | 99                                                       | 7                                                        | 7                                                        | 13                                                       |
| Delhi                      | 915                                                      | 640                                                      | 585                                                      | 457                                                      | 635                                                      | 164                                                      | 164                                                      | 69                                                       |
| Gujarat                    | 546                                                      | 385                                                      | 373                                                      | 273                                                      | 181                                                      | 70                                                       | 45                                                       | 41                                                       |
| Haryana                    | 113                                                      | 57                                                       |                                                          | 57                                                       | 63                                                       | 8                                                        |                                                          | 8                                                        |
| Himachal Pradesh           | 37                                                       | 24                                                       | 37                                                       | 18                                                       | 12                                                       | 1                                                        | 1                                                        | 3                                                        |
| Jammu& Kashmir             | 30                                                       | 15                                                       |                                                          | 15                                                       | 13                                                       | 1                                                        | 1                                                        | 2                                                        |
| Karnataka                  | 219                                                      | 192                                                      |                                                          | 109                                                      | 91                                                       | 112                                                      | 98                                                       | 16                                                       |
| Kerala                     | 190                                                      | 157                                                      | 199                                                      | 95                                                       | 203                                                      | 20                                                       |                                                          | 14                                                       |
| Kolkata                    | 347                                                      | 160                                                      | 221                                                      | 173                                                      | 115                                                      | 38                                                       | 38                                                       | 26                                                       |
| Madhya Pradesh             | 190                                                      | 143                                                      | 195                                                      | 95                                                       | 68                                                       | 9                                                        |                                                          | 14                                                       |
| Maharashtra                | 729                                                      | 510                                                      | 523                                                      | 365                                                      | 391                                                      | 72                                                       | 66                                                       | 55                                                       |
| Mumbai                     | 1122                                                     | 727                                                      | 691                                                      | 561                                                      | 528                                                      | 167                                                      | 167                                                      | 84                                                       |
| North East                 | 25                                                       | 15                                                       | 23                                                       | 13                                                       | 6                                                        | 1                                                        |                                                          | 2                                                        |
| Orissa                     | 54                                                       | 47                                                       | 86                                                       | 27                                                       | 44                                                       | 5                                                        |                                                          | 4                                                        |
| Punjab                     | 177                                                      | 157                                                      |                                                          | 88                                                       | 104                                                      | 21                                                       | 24                                                       | 13                                                       |
| Rajasthan                  | 211                                                      | 266                                                      |                                                          | 105                                                      | 0                                                        | 6                                                        |                                                          | 16                                                       |
| Tamil Nadu                 | 199                                                      | 174                                                      | 235                                                      | 100                                                      | 394                                                      | 151                                                      | 32                                                       | 15                                                       |
| Uttar Pradesh (East)       | 305                                                      | 251                                                      | 262                                                      | 153                                                      | 126                                                      | 9                                                        |                                                          | 23                                                       |
| Uttar Pradesh (West)       | 230                                                      | 161                                                      | 211                                                      | 115                                                      | 76                                                       | 12                                                       |                                                          | 17                                                       |
| West Bengal                | 105                                                      | 74                                                       | 124                                                      | 53                                                       | 35                                                       | 6                                                        |                                                          | 8                                                        |

## Annexure-II

Annexure referred  to  in  reply  of  para  (g)  of  Lok  Sabha  Unstarred  Question  No.  3907  to  be answered on 11th December, 2019 raised by Hon'ble Member of Parliament Shri Sanjay Kaka Patil, regarding 'Network Coverage and Availability of Spectrum'

## Fund Disbursed During Last Three Years

| Years   |   Rupees in Crore |
|---------|-------------------|
| 2016-17 |           7227.03 |
| 2017-18 |           6998.76 |
| 2018-19 |           4788.22 |

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