Lok Sabha Question No. 4660 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-03-24
Subject: Differential Licensing
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: P. C. Mohan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4660 TO BE ANSWERED ON 24 TH  MARCH, 2021

## DIFFERENTIAL LICENSING

## 4660.   SHRI P.C. MOHAN:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government proposes to introduce differential licensing framework for telecom companies;
- (b) if so, the salient features thereof; and
- (c) the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  for  strengthening  telecom  infrastructure  through  fund infusion?

## ANSWER

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

(a) & (b) The Government is in the process of consultation on the matter of enabling unbundling of different  layers  (e.g.,  infrastructure,  network,  services,  and  application  layer)  through  differential licensing.

- (c) For providing high bandwidth capacity, mobile services and broadband connectivity to realize the vision of Digital  India, a number of schemes have been taken up with funding from Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) for expansion of telecom services in rural and remote areas of the country as given below:
- (i) BharatNet  project  is  being  implemented  in  a  phased  manner  to  create  network  to connect  all  the  Gram  Panchayats  (approximately  2.5  lakh)  with  broadband  in  the country.  The  project  is  being  executed  by  using  an  optimal  mix  of  media  (Optical Fibre Cable, Radio and satellite). As on 08.03.2021, a total number of 1,54,596 Gram Panchayats  (including  Block  Headquarters)  have  been  made  Service  Ready  and 5,08,328 km Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) has been laid. Now, the scope of BharatNet is being expanded to provide Broadband connectivity to all the inhabited villages (about 6 Lakh), as announced on 15th August 2020.
- (ii) Further, as part of this project, the last mile connectivity, through Wi-Fi or any other suitable broadband technology, is to be provided at all the Gram Panchayats (GPs) in the  country.  As  on  08.03.2021,  Wi-Fi  hotspots  have  been  installed  in  1,03,400  GPs and 4,95,840 Fibre to the Home (FTTH) connections have been provided.

- (iii) Public  Wi-Fi  hotspots  at  the  25,000  rural  telephone  exchanges  of  BSNL  are  being provided. As of February 2021, a total number of 24,413 Wi-Fi hotspots are installed and out of them, 24,228 are providing services.
- (iv) For provision of mobile services in Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected areas under Phase-I, the project has been completed by installing 2,343 towers.
- (v) For provision of 4G mobile services in Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected areas under Phase-II, the retendering is under process for installing 2,542 number of tower sites.
- (vi) Under Comprehensive Telecom Development Plan (CTDP) for mobile connectivity in the North Eastern Region, as of February 2021, a total number of 1,358 towers have been installed, and out of them 1,355 sites are providing services.
- (vii) For  providing  mobile  connectivity  in  354  uncovered  villages  of  J&K,  Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, Border area &  other  priority  areas,  an  Agreement  has  been  signed  and  80  villages  have  been covered.
- (viii) For  providing  4G  mobile  connectivity  in  502  uncovered  villages  of  Aspirational Districts in four States (namely Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh & Rajasthan), the  tender  has  been  finalised  and  the  Letter  of  Intent  (LoI)  has  been  issued  on 26.02.2021.
- (ix) For  provision  of  4G  Mobile  Coverage  in  85  uncovered  Villages  and  seamless  4G Mobile  coverage  of  NH223  in  Andaman  &  Nicobar  Islands,  the  tender  has  been finalised and the Letter of Intent (LoI) & has been issued on 26.02.2021.
- (x) Laying of submarine optical fibre  cable  between  Chennai  and  Andaman  &  Nicobar Islands for providing high bandwidth connectivity to Andaman & Nicobar Islands has been  completed.  Connectivity  to  all  the  8  Islands  is  commissioned  with  200  Gbps Bandwidth available between Chennai to Port Blair and 100 Gbps bandwidth within Islands.
- (xi) Submarine  OFC  Connectivity  between  Mainland  India  (Kochi)  and  Lakshadweep Islands has been approved by the Cabinet on 09.12.20200 to link 11 islands through BSNL.

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