Lok Sabha Question No. 2263 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-03-04
Subject: Access to Broadband Services
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: H. Vasanthakumar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2263 TO BE ANSWERED ON 4 TH  MARCH, 2020

## ACCESS TO BROADBAND SERVICES

## 2263. SHRI VASANTHAKUMAR H.:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government will provide broadband access to all villages across the country in the targeted time and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether  the  Government  has  launched  any  mission  to  enable  fast  track  growth  of  digital communication infrastructure in the country and if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) the  fund  allocation  by  the  Government  in  this  regard  during  the  last  three  years,  State/UTwise?

## ANSWER

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

(a) & (b) National  Broadband  Mission  (NBM)  was  launched  on  17 th December  2019  with  a vision  to  fast  track  growth  of  digital  communications  infrastructure,  bridge  the  digital  divide, facilitate  digital  empowerment  and  inclusion,  and  provide  affordable  and  universal  access  of broadband for all. The Mission inter-alia envisages to provide broadband access to all villages in the country by year 2022.

Towards  this  end,  BharatNet  project  is  already  being  implemented  in  a  phased  manner  to provide broadband connectivity to all the Gram Panchayats (GPs) (approx. 2.5 lakh) in the country. As  on  21  February,  2020  1,36,341  GPs  (including  Block  Headquarters)  have  been  made  service ready.

(c)    State/UT-wise  Subsidy  disbursed  from  Universal  Service  Obligation  Fund  (USOF) during last three  years  i.e  2016-17  to  2018-19  for  provisioning  of  Broadband  access  in  the  country  is  at Annexure.

Annexure referred to in Part (c) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 2263 for Answer on 04.03.2020.

State/UT-wise Subsidy disbursed from Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) during last three years i.e 2016-17 to 2018-19 for provisioning of Broadband access in the country

| S. N.   | NAME OF STATEs/UTs/ CCAs   |   Rs in Crore |
|---------|----------------------------|---------------|
| 1       | ANDHRA PRADESH             |          1.03 |
| 2       | ASSAM                      |          0.82 |
| 3       | *USOF HQ                   |      15745.5  |
| 4       | BIHAR                      |          7.34 |
| 5       | CHHATTISGARH               |          8.18 |
| 6       | CHANDIGARH                 |          3.35 |
| 7       | HARYANA                    |          3.83 |
| 8       | HIMACHAL PRADESH           |          0.18 |
| 9       | J&K                        |          0.99 |
| 10      | JHARKHAND                  |          7.71 |
| 11      | KARNATAKA                  |         11.13 |
| 12      | KERALA                     |          4.47 |
| 13      | MAHARASHTRA                |          6.42 |
| 14      | MADHYA PRADESH             |         28    |
| 15      | NE-I                       |          0.31 |
| 16      | NE-II                      |          0.64 |
| 17      | ODISHA                     |          9.47 |
| 18      | PUDUCHERY                  |          1.68 |
| 19      | RAJASTHAN                  |          2.1  |
| 20      | UTTAR PRADESH              |         40.09 |
| 21      | UTTARAKHAND                |          7.33 |
| 22      | WEST BENGAL                |          0.54 |
|         | Total                      |      15891.1  |

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