Lok Sabha Question No. 1738 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-02-13
Subject: Telecom Connectivity in the North-East
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: NINONG ERING

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1738 TO BE ANSWERED ON 13 TH  FEBRUARY, 2019

## TELECOM CONNECTIVITY IN THE NORTH-EAST

1738. SHRI NINONG ERING:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) the status of telecom connectivity in Arunachal Pradesh;
- (b) the time by when 4G services will be provided in each district of Arunachal Pradesh and the North East in general and the details thereof;
- (c) the role of Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) and the details of the funds utilised; and
- (d) the details of fund utilisation by BSNL in connection with this matter?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) According to the data collected from the telecom service providers in 2018, out of  total 5258 inhabited villages of Arunachal Pradesh (as per the Census 2011), mobile telecom connectivity is available in 3043 villages.
- (b) At  present,  4G  service  in  the  North  Eastern  Region  including  Arunachal  Pradesh  is  being provided through 4G BTSs (Base Trans-receiver Stations). The district-wise details of 4G BTS in the North  Eastern  Region  is  at  Annexure.  Additional  4G  BTS  are  set  up  by  the  Telecom  Service Providers (TSPs) based on their assessment of techno commercial feasibility.
- (c) & (d) The Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) was established with the fundamental objective of providing access to 'basic' telecom services to people in the rural and remote areas at affordable and reasonable prices. Subsequently the scope was widened to provide subsidy support for enabling access  to all types of  telecom  services  including  mobile  services,  broadband connectivity and creation of infrastructure like Optical Fiber Cable (OFC) in rural and remote areas. Since its formation in 2002-2003, USOF has disbursed Rs. 47882.96 crore for different projects, of which Rs. 36978 crore have been disbursed to Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL).

## District-wise details of number of 4G Base Transceiver Station (BTS) in the North Eastern Region

|   Sr No. | State             | District name       |   Number of 4G BTS |
|----------|-------------------|---------------------|--------------------|
|        1 | Arunachal Pradesh | Anjaw               |                  7 |
|        2 | Arunachal Pradesh | Changlang           |                112 |
|        3 | Arunachal Pradesh | East Kameng         |                 15 |
|        4 | Arunachal Pradesh | East Siang          |                130 |
|        5 | Arunachal Pradesh | Kurung Kumey        |                  7 |
|        6 | Arunachal Pradesh | Lohit               |                 91 |
|        7 | Arunachal Pradesh | Longding            |                 16 |
|        8 | Arunachal Pradesh | Lower Dibang Valley |                 44 |
|        9 | Arunachal Pradesh | Lower Subansiri     |                 29 |
|       10 | Arunachal Pradesh | Namsai              |                 95 |
|       11 | Arunachal Pradesh | Papum Pare          |                344 |
|       12 | Arunachal Pradesh | Siang               |                  2 |
|       13 | Arunachal Pradesh | Tawang              |                 27 |
|       14 | Arunachal Pradesh | Tirap               |                 49 |
|       15 | Arunachal Pradesh | Upper Siang         |                  2 |
|       16 | Arunachal Pradesh | Upper Subansiri     |                 16 |
|       17 | Arunachal Pradesh | West Kameng         |                127 |
|       18 | Arunachal Pradesh | West Siang          |                 44 |
|       19 | Manipur           | Bishnupur           |                224 |
|       20 | Manipur           | Chandel             |                 80 |
|       21 | Manipur           | Churachandpur       |                170 |
|       22 | Manipur           | Imphal East         |                833 |
|       23 | Manipur           | Imphal West         |                763 |
|       24 | Manipur           | Kakching            |                  1 |
|       25 | Manipur           | Senapati            |                286 |
|       26 | Manipur           | Tamenglong          |                 64 |
|       27 | Manipur           | Thoubal             |                368 |
|       28 | Manipur           | Ukhrul              |                112 |
|       29 | Nagaland          | Mon                 |                 92 |
|       30 | Nagaland          | Dimapur             |                865 |
|       31 | Nagaland          | Kiphire             |                 46 |
|       32 | Nagaland          | Kohima              |                369 |
|       33 | Nagaland          | Longleng            |                 46 |
|       34 | Nagaland          | Mokokchung          |                262 |
|       35 | Nagaland          | Peren               |                 49 |
|       36 | Nagaland          | Phek                |                113 |
|       37 | Nagaland          | Tuensang            |                 83 |
|       38 | Nagaland          | Wokha               |                113 |
|       39 | Nagaland          | Zunheboto           |                 95 |
|       40 | Meghalaya         | East Garo Hills     |                112 |

|   Sr No. | State     | District name          |   Number of 4G BTS |
|----------|-----------|------------------------|--------------------|
|       41 | Meghalaya | East Jaintia Hills     |                286 |
|       42 | Meghalaya | East Khasi Hills       |                793 |
|       43 | Meghalaya | North Garo Hills       |                 69 |
|       44 | Meghalaya | Ribhoi                 |                246 |
|       45 | Meghalaya | South Garo Hills       |                 45 |
|       46 | Meghalaya | South West Garo Hills  |                106 |
|       47 | Meghalaya | South West Khasi Hills |                 35 |
|       48 | Meghalaya | West Garo Hills        |                484 |
|       49 | Meghalaya | West Jaintia Hills     |                298 |
|       50 | Meghalaya | West Khasi Hills       |                198 |
|       51 | Mizoram   | Aizawl                 |                642 |
|       52 | Mizoram   | Champhai               |                 93 |
|       53 | Mizoram   | Kolasib                |                159 |
|       54 | Mizoram   | Lawngtlai              |                 26 |
|       55 | Mizoram   | Lunglei                |                161 |
|       56 | Mizoram   | Mamit                  |                 69 |
|       57 | Mizoram   | Saiha                  |                 33 |
|       58 | Mizoram   | Serchhip               |                 67 |
|       59 | Tripura   | Dhalai                 |                271 |
|       60 | Tripura   | Gomati                 |                249 |
|       61 | Tripura   | Khowai                 |                180 |
|       62 | Tripura   | North Tripura          |                392 |
|       63 | Tripura   | Sipahijala             |                370 |
|       64 | Tripura   | South Tripura          |                463 |
|       65 | Tripura   | Unakoti                |                182 |
|       66 | Tripura   | West Tripura           |               1407 |
|       67 | Assam     | Baksa                  |                553 |
|       68 | Assam     | Barpeta                |                882 |
|       69 | Assam     | Bongaigaon             |                670 |
|       70 | Assam     | Cachar                 |               1028 |
|       71 | Assam     | Chirang                |                431 |
|       72 | Assam     | Darrang                |                578 |
|       73 | Assam     | Dhemaji                |                495 |
|       74 | Assam     | Dhubri                 |                966 |
|       75 | Assam     | Dibrugarh              |               1175 |
|       76 | Assam     | Dima Hasao             |                 94 |
|       77 | Assam     | Goalpara               |                750 |
|       78 | Assam     | Golaghat               |                824 |
|       79 | Assam     | Hailakandi             |                254 |
|       80 | Assam     | Jorhat                 |                996 |
|       81 | Assam     | Kamrup                 |               1291 |
|       82 | Assam     | Kamrup (Metro)         |               2571 |
|       83 | Assam     | Karbi Anglong          |                713 |

|   Sr No. | State   | District name      |   Number of 4G BTS |
|----------|---------|--------------------|--------------------|
|       84 | Assam   | Karimganj          |                542 |
|       85 | Assam   | Kokrajhar          |                629 |
|       86 | Assam   | Lakhimpur          |                682 |
|       87 | Assam   | Morigaon           |                508 |
|       88 | Assam   | Nagaon             |               1620 |
|       89 | Assam   | Nalbari            |                497 |
|       90 | Assam   | North Cachar Hills |                 33 |
|       91 | Assam   | Sivasagar          |                983 |
|       92 | Assam   | Sonitpur           |               1255 |
|       93 | Assam   | Tinsukia           |                947 |
|       94 | Assam   | Udalguri           |                424 |

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