Lok Sabha Question No. 307 (STARRED), answered on 2021-03-17
Subject: Telecommuication Towers in Villages
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Ramapati Ram Tripathi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK  SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 307 TO BE ANSWERED ON 17 TH  MARCH, 2021

## TELECOMMUICATION TOWERS IN VILLAGES

†*307. DR. RAMAPATI RAM TRIPATHI:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) the total number of villages in the country including Deoria district in Uttar Pradesh, where telecommunication towers have been set up during each of the last three years and the current year, State/UTwise and Telecom Company-wise;
- (b) whether the telecommunication network condition/position in the villages is poor and if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor; and
- (c) whether  the  Government  is  formulating  any  action  plan  to  improve  the  telecommunication network in such areas and if so, the details thereof and the time by which it is likely to be done?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) to (c) A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT  TO  BE  LAID  ON  THE  TABLE  OF  THE  LOK  SABHA  IN  RESPECT  OF PARTS (a) to (c) OF THE LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION No. 307 FOR 17 th  MARCH, 2021 REGARDING 'TELECOMMUNICATION TOWERS IN VILLAGES'

(a) Sir, the total number of villages (inhabited villages as per census 2011) in the country where telecommunication towers have been set up during each of the last three years and the current year, State/UT-wise and telecom company-wise, is attached as Annexure-1 .

The  total  number  of  villages  in  Deoria  District  of  Uttar  Pradesh  where  telecommunication towers have been set up during each of the last three years and current year, telecom company-wise, is attached as Annexure-2 .

(b) Out  of  5,97,618  villages  of  the  Country,  5,72,551  number  of  villages  are  already  having mobile connectivity which is 95.8%. The Telecom Service Providers (TSPs), as per the requirement of  DoT have provided these numbers. These numbers are furnished by various TSPs who provide mobile  connectivity  in  the  villages  and  they  have  authentic  data  about  the  villages  wherein  they provide service.

Over the years, the Government and Department of Telecommunication have been insisting on the TSPs to upgrade the Telecom Infrastructure particularly the BTS and Towers. The consistent effort has shown significant result as is evident from the table given below

| Number of BTS   | 6,49,834 (March-14)   | 22,30,192 (March-21)   |
|-----------------|-----------------------|------------------------|
| Number of Tower | 4,15,724 (Dec-15)     | 6,40,613 (March-21)    |

However, while taking note of the efforts of TSPs there have been some factors which have created some road blocks in this context. These are inability to install additional BTSs on existing Towers  due  to  loading  issues,  opposition  from  local  residents  due  to  the  perceived  fear  of  EMF (Electro-Magnetic Field) radiation, non-availability of suitable structure at various places, inaccessible terrain and transportation difficulties of equipment at various locations, and unwarranted delays in commissioning new sites due to various procedural formalities from local administration/ agencies  account for the 4.2% uncovered villages.

(c) Government took a series of actions to improve the telecommunication network to cover all the villages of the country with network connectivity.  Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) was  created  to  provide  widespread  and  non-discriminatory  access  to  quality  information  and communication technology (ICT) services at affordable prices for people living in rural and remote areas.  Government  under  USOF  prepares  various  schemes  to  provide  mobile  connectivity  in uncovered remote and rural villages. The details of these schemes are provided at Annexure-3 .

Further,  in  order  to  address  the  difficulties  being  faced  by  the  Telecom  Service  Providers, Infrastructure  Providers  and  Telecom  Companies  with  various  States/  Union  Territories  and Concerned Central Government Departments/ Agencies in setting up underground and over ground telecom infrastructure on account of multiple right of way related issues and exorbitant charges, the Government of India notified Indian Telegraph Right of Way Rules - 2016 in November 2016. These rules govern the Right of Way procedures for setting up towers and laying fibers across the country.

Telecom  company-wise  and  State/UT  wise  total  number  of  villages  where  telecom  towers  were installed during the last three years and the current year

| S No   | State/UT   | Name of Company   | No. of Census inhabited villages where telecom towers were installed   | No. of Census inhabited villages where telecom towers were installed   | No. of Census inhabited villages where telecom towers were installed   | No. of Census inhabited villages where telecom towers were installed   |
|--------|------------|-------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| S No   | State/UT   | Name of Company   | During 2017-18                                                         | During 2018-19                                                         | During 2019-20                                                         | During 2020-21                                                         |
|        |            | BAL               | NIL                                                                    | NIL                                                                    | NIL                                                                    | NIL                                                                    |
|        |            | BSNL              | 4                                                                      | NIL                                                                    | 8                                                                      | NIL                                                                    |
|        |            | VIL               | NIL                                                                    | NIL                                                                    | NIL                                                                    | NIL                                                                    |
|        |            | BSNL              | 18                                                                     | 11                                                                     | 12                                                                     | 12                                                                     |
|        |            | BAL               | 103                                                                    | 260                                                                    | 309                                                                    | 463                                                                    |
|        |            | RJIL              | 2577                                                                   | 2041                                                                   | 594                                                                    | 33                                                                     |
|        |            | VIL               | Nil                                                                    | NIL                                                                    | NIL                                                                    | NIL                                                                    |
|        |            | BSNL              | NIL                                                                    | NIL                                                                    | NIL                                                                    | NIL                                                                    |
|        |            | RJIL              | 50                                                                     | 46                                                                     | 52                                                                     | NIL                                                                    |
|        |            | BHL               | 104                                                                    | 157                                                                    | 275                                                                    | 126                                                                    |
|        |            | VIL               | 62                                                                     | 57                                                                     | 12                                                                     | 4                                                                      |
|        |            | BAL               | 138                                                                    | 378                                                                    | 570                                                                    | 468                                                                    |
|        |            | BSNL              | 25                                                                     | 30                                                                     | 2                                                                      | NIL                                                                    |
|        |            | RJIL              | 279                                                                    | 1274                                                                   | 956                                                                    | 703                                                                    |
|        |            | VIL               | 4                                                                      | 7                                                                      | 1                                                                      | NIL                                                                    |
|        |            | BAL               | 87                                                                     | 441                                                                    | 1091                                                                   | 928                                                                    |
|        |            | BSNL              | 66                                                                     | NIL                                                                    | NIL                                                                    | NIL                                                                    |
|        |            | VIL               | 12                                                                     | 247                                                                    | 295                                                                    | 4                                                                      |
|        |            | RJIL              | 2659                                                                   | 2424                                                                   | 2208                                                                   | 1388                                                                   |

|    |                  | BAL   | 1    | 1    | 1    | 3    |
|----|------------------|-------|------|------|------|------|
|    |                  | BSNL  | NIL  | NIL  | NIL  | NIL  |
|    |                  | RJIL  | 2    | NIL  | NIL  | NIL  |
|    |                  | VIL   | 96   | NIL  | NIL  | 1    |
|    |                  | BSNL  | 30   | 44   | 13   | 2    |
|    |                  | VIL   | 7    | 2    | 3    | NIL  |
|    |                  | RJIL  | 804  | 2192 | 777  | 670  |
|    |                  | BAL   | 23   | 65   | 232  | 22   |
|    |                  | BAL   | 3    | 2    | 1    | 1    |
|    |                  | VIL   | 2    | NIL  | 2    | 4    |
|    |                  | BSNL  | NIL  | NIL  | NIL  | NIL  |
|    |                  | RJIL  | 29   | 16   | 4    | 1    |
|    |                  | BAL   | 5    | 9    | 5    | 2    |
|    |                  | VIL   | NIL  | NIL  | 1    | NIL  |
|    |                  | RJIL  | 107  | 87   | 25   | 8    |
|    |                  | BSNL  | NIL  | 34   | 8    | 1    |
| 10 |                  | BAL   | 96   | 265  | 152  | 279  |
| 10 |                  | VIL   | 126  | 94   | 144  | 209  |
| 10 |                  | BSNL  | 3    | 79   | 64   | 36   |
| 10 |                  | RJIL  | 3808 | 2905 | 1321 | 1036 |
|    |                  | RJIL  | 1421 | 2173 | 351  | 35   |
|    |                  | BSNL  | NIL  | NIL  | NIL  | NIL  |
|    |                  | BAL   | 114  | 112  | 52   | 350  |
|    |                  | VIL   | 105  | 50   | 164  | 45   |
| 12 | Himachal Pradesh | BSNL  | 2    | 11   | 14   | 4    |
| 12 | Himachal Pradesh | RJIL  | 741  | 777  | 489  | 89   |

| VIL   | 3    | 51   | 10   | NIL   |
|-------|------|------|------|-------|
| BAL   | 77   | 290  | 255  | 416   |
| BAL   | 86   | 194  | 103  | 191   |
| RJIL  | 1010 | 1231 | 448  | 193   |
| BSNL  | 8    | NIL  | NIL  | 3     |
| VIL   | 23   | 30   | 36   | NIL   |
| BAL   | 40   | 127  | 540  | 583   |
| BSNL  | 54   | 42   | NIL  | NIL   |
| VIL   | 3    | 58   | 47   | NIL   |
| RJIL  | 917  | 1361 | 933  | 948   |
| RJIL  | 243  | 1839 | 1474 | 656   |
| BAL   | 415  | 470  | 1067 | 1066  |
| VIL   | NIL  | NIL  | NIL  | NIL   |
| BSNL  | 42   | 38   | 19   | 6     |
| BSNL  | 94   | 83   | 40   | 22    |
| VIL   | 2    | 3    | 4    | NIL   |
| RJIL  | 121  | 32   | 39   | 17    |
| BAL   | 193  | 151  | 42   | 220   |
| BSNL  | 12   | 15   | 10   | 4     |
| VIL   | NIL  | NIL  | NIL  | NIL   |
| BAL   | 12   | 16   | 9    | 47    |
| RJIL  | NIL  | 54   | 34   | 21    |
| BAL   | NIL  | NIL  | NIL  | NIL   |
| BSNL  | NIL  | 2    | 1    | NIL   |
| BAL   | 47   | 50   | 42   | 80    |
| BSNL  | 25   | 114  | 481  | NIL   |

| RJIL    | 3306   | 4474   | 1758   | 932   |
|---------|--------|--------|--------|-------|
| VIL     | 33     | 15     | 46     | 4     |
| BAL     | 101    | 255    | 558    | 349   |
| VIL     | 60     | 28     | 14     | 45    |
| RJIL    | 4742   | 3725   | 2120   | 387   |
| BSNL    | 1      | 1305   | 532    | 59    |
| MTNL    | 3      | NIL    | NIL    | NIL   |
| BSNL    | 9      | 8      | 55     | 14    |
| RJIL    | 102    | 86     | 68     | 4     |
| BHL     | 158    | 187    | 401    | 301   |
| VIL     | 81     | 31     | 11     | 3     |
| BSNL    | NIL    | NIL    | NIL    | NIL   |
| RJIL    | 149    | 189    | 230    | 2     |
| BHL     | 127    | 238    | 146    | 142   |
| VIL     | 45     | 52     | 45     | NIL   |
| BSNL    | NIL    | NIL    | NIL    | NIL   |
| RJIL    | 33     | 37     | 37     | NIL   |
| BHL     | 56     | 97     | 238    | 121   |
| VIL     | 10     | 4      | 2      | NIL   |
| BSNL    | 20     | NIL    | 30     | 3     |
| RJIL    | 123    | 64     | 76     | 1     |
| BHL     | 70     | 139    | 237    | 130   |
| VIL     | 31     | 23     | 14     | 2     |
|         | 21     | 8      | 18     | 7     |
| BAL VIL | 13     | 11     | 24     | 13    |
| RJIL    | 42     | 35     | 11     | 7     |

|    |            | MTNL   | 22   | NIL   | NIL   | NIL   |
|----|------------|--------|------|-------|-------|-------|
| 26 | Odisha     | BAL    | 141  | 573   | 687   | 873   |
| 26 |            | BSNL   | 138  | 84    | 51    | 13    |
| 26 |            | RJIL   | 2169 | 2278  | 1256  | 591   |
| 26 |            | VIL    | 9    | 18    | 41    | 5     |
| 27 | Puducherry | BAL    | NIL  | 3     | 1     | 1     |
| 27 | Puducherry | BSNL   | NIL  | NIL   | NIL   | NIL   |
| 27 | Puducherry | RJIL   | 38   | 51    | 17    | 11    |
| 27 | Puducherry | VIL    | 4    | 1     | 5     | 9     |
| 28 | Punjab     | BAL    | 58   | 349   | 152   | 345   |
| 28 | Punjab     | BSNL   | NIL  | 15    | NIL   | NIL   |
| 28 | Punjab     | RJIL   | 2241 | 1772  | 187   | 1     |
| 28 | Punjab     | VIL    | 1    | 70    | 26    | 120   |
| 29 | Rajasthan  | VIL    | 64   | 18    | 14    | 15    |
| 29 | Rajasthan  | BSNL   | 21   | 32    | NIL   | 5     |
| 29 | Rajasthan  | RJIL   | 3439 | 4653  | 1995  | 234   |
| 29 | Rajasthan  | BHL    | 139  | 251   | 901   | 1041  |
| 30 | Sikkim     | BAL    | 0    | 1     | 9     | 1     |
| 30 | Sikkim     | BSNL   | 0    | NIL   | NIL   | NIL   |
| 30 | Sikkim     | RJIL   | 12   | 28    | 34    | 13    |
| 30 | Sikkim     | VIL    | 0    | NIL   | NIL   | NIL   |
| 31 | Tamil Nadu | BAL    | 279  | 2384  | 166   | 295   |
| 31 | Tamil Nadu | VIL    | 130  | 541   | 347   | 563   |
| 31 | Tamil Nadu | BSNL   | 9    | 2     | 2     | NIL   |
| 31 | Tamil Nadu | RJIL   | 4394 | 5766  | 1491  | 834   |
| 32 | Telangana  | BSNL   | 8    | 13    | 7     | 3     |

| BAL   | 64   | 212   | 190   | 350   |
|-------|------|-------|-------|-------|
| VIL   | NIL  | NIL   | NIL   | NIL   |
| RJIL  | 2020 | 1699  | 583   | 40    |
| BSNL  | NIL  | NIL   | NIL   | NIL   |
| RJIL  | 186  | 128   | 80    | 1     |
| BHL   | 258  | 294   | 165   | 129   |
| VIL   | 56   | 37    | 6     | NIL   |
| BAL   | 133  | 417   | 174   | 728   |
| BSNL  | 103  | 322   | 6     | 1     |
| RJIL  | 5997 | 7125  | 1797  | 1078  |
| VIL   | 107  | 31    | 587   | 63    |
| VIL   | NIL  | NIL   | NIL   | NIL   |
| RJIL  | 320  | 436   | 481   | 471   |
| BAL   | 50   | 90    | 32    | 95    |
| BSNL  | 1    | 3     | 18    | 1     |
| BAL   | NIL  | 1     | 5     | 16    |
| BSNL  | NIL  | NIL   | NIL   | NIL   |
| RJIL  | 827  | 2003  | 1874  | 168   |
| VIL   | NIL  | NIL   | NIL   | NIL   |

## Legends:

BAL :

Bharti Airtel Limited

BHL :

Bharti Hexacom Limited

BSNL  :

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited

MTNL :

Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited

RJIL :

Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited

VIL :

Vodafone Idea Limited

## Annexure-2

Telecom company-wise total number of villages where telecom towers were installed during the last three years and the current year in Deoria District

| S No   | District   | Name of Company   | No. of Census inhabited villages where telecom towers were installed   | No. of Census inhabited villages where telecom towers were installed   | No. of Census inhabited villages where telecom towers were installed   | No. of Census inhabited villages where telecom towers were installed   |
|--------|------------|-------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|        |            |                   | During                                                                 | During 2018-19                                                         | During 2019-20                                                         | During 2020-21                                                         |
|        |            |                   | 2017-18                                                                |                                                                        |                                                                        |                                                                        |
| 1      | Deoria     | BAL               | 1                                                                      | 10                                                                     | 16                                                                     | 30                                                                     |
| 1      | Deoria     | BSNL              | 1                                                                      | 11                                                                     | NIL                                                                    | NIL                                                                    |
| 1      | Deoria     | RJIL              | 98                                                                     | 96                                                                     | 38                                                                     | 10                                                                     |
| 1      | Deoria     | VIL               | 319                                                                    | 4                                                                      | NIL                                                                    | NIL                                                                    |

## Legends:

BAL :

Bharti Airtel Limited

BSNL  :

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited

RJIL :

Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited

VIL :

Vodafone Idea Limited

## Annexure-3

The details of various schemes to provide mobile connectivity in uncovered remote and rural villages under Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) are as follows:

1. 354 uncovered villages scheme: Under this scheme 354 uncovered villages of border villages of J&K, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Uttarakhand and other priority areas are being covered. Work has been awarded to RJIL. The work is under progress and as on date 87 villages have been covered.
2. Left Wing Extremism (LWE) Phase-I scheme: Under this scheme 2343 mobile towers were  installed  at  MHA  identified  locations.    Out  of  these  78  mobile  towers  were  installed  in Sonbhadra, Mirzapur & Chandauli districts of Uttar Pradesh. All towers are operational and providing services. The project is completed.
3. Left Wing Extremism (LWE) Phase-II scheme: Under this scheme 2542 mobile towers at MHA identified locations have been planned.  Out of these, 42 mobile towers have been planned with 4G connectivity in Sonbhadra District of Uttar Pradesh. The scheme is under process.
4. 502 Aspirational District Schemes: Under this schemes, towers for mobile connectivity for 502 uncovered villages have been planned in Aspirational districts across 4 states i.e. Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar  Pradesh and Bihar. Out of these 22 villages  in  6  districts  of  Uttar  Pradesh (Bahraich,  Balrampur,  Chandauli,  Chitrakoot,  Shrawasti  &  Sonbhadra)  have  been  planned.  Tender has been finalized and award of work is under process.
5. 7287 Aspirational District Scheme: Under this scheme 7287 villages have been planned for provisioning of 4G based Mobile services in the uncovered villages of Aspirational Districts of 5 States  of  Andhra  Pradesh,  Chhattisgarh,  Jharkhand,  Maharashtra  and  Odisha.  Cabinet  Note  of  the scheme is under submission for approval.

*****