Lok Sabha Question No. 196 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-07-18
Subject: Estimate on Mobile Subscribers
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: RAJIV PRATAP RUDY

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 196 TO BE ANSWERED ON 18 th   JULY, 2018

## ESTIMATE ON MOBILE SUBSCRIBERS

## 196. SHRI RAJIV PRATAP RUDY:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has any estimate on mobile numbers in the country that have been subscribed but not in use and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government has any estimate on the number of people having more than two mobile connections and if so, the details thereof, State-wise;
- (c) the trend of mobile phone coverage in the country aggregated by States during the last three years, State/ UT-wise;
- (d) the villages in the country that do not have mobile coverage, State/UT-wise; and
- (e) the  measures  taken  by  the  Government  for  expansion  of  mobile  coverage  in those villages along with the financial allocation made in this regard during each of the last three years?

## ANSWER

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

(a) The data on mobile numbers in the country that have been subscribed but not in use is not maintained. However, the Telecom Service Providers furnish data relating to the  number  of  active  wireless  subscribers  on  the  date  of  peak  VLR  (Visitor  Location Register)  data.    Out  of  the  total  wireless  subscribers  (1,189  million),  998.00  million wireless subscribers were active on the date of peak VLR in the month of March, 2018. The  proportion  of  active  wireless  subscribers  was  approximately  83.93%  of  the  total wireless  subscriber  base.    The  dates  of  peak  VLR  for  various  TSPs  are  different  in different service areas.

(b) There  is  no  estimate  on  the  number  of  people  having  more  than  2  mobile connections. However, the urban teledensity of wireless subscribers as on 31 st  March 2018 is 161.92%, which indicates that many subscribers have multiple connections.

- (c) The  service  area  wise  number  of  mobile  telephone  connections  and  mobile teledensity during the last three years is in Annexure-I and II respectively.

(d) T here are 52685 villages in the country that do not have mobile coverage. The State/UT wise details are given at Annexure -III.

(e) The  Government  has  planned  to  provide  mobile  coverage  in  inhabited  and uncovered  villages  of  the  country  in  a  phased  manner.  In North  Eastern  Region (NER), the Government of India has taken following measures for expansion of mobile coverage:

-  Under  Comprehensive  Telecom  Development  for  NER,  USOF  has  signed  an agreement with BSNL, to install 2817 mobile towers for providing mobile coverage in 4119 uncovered villages of Arunachal Pradesh and two districts of Assam with an estimated cost of Rs. 2258 Cr.
-  Agreement  has  also  been  signed  with  M/s  Bharti  Airtel  Limited  and  M/s  Bharti Hexacom  Limited  to  install  2004  mobile  towers  for  providing  mobile  coverage  in 2128 villages  and  National  Highways  in  rest  of  NER  (except  Meghalaya)  with  an estimated cost of Rs. 1656 Cr.
-  The  Government  has  approved  the  proposal  for  provision  of  mobile  services  on 2G+4G technology for installation of 2173 mobile towers in 2374 uncovered villages and along National Highways in Meghalaya for an estimated cost of Rs. 3911 Cr.

With regard to Left  Wing  Extremism  (LWE) affected areas the following measures have been taken :

-  LWE Phase-I project : Under this project, 2355 locations have been identified by Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in LWE affected areas, have been taken up for installation of towers. As of now, a total of  2335 mobile towers are radiating.
-  LWE  Phase-II  project :  A  project  has  been  approved  by  the  Government  for installation  of  4072  towers,  identified  by  Ministry  of    Home  Affairs  (MHA)  for providing the mobile connectivity in inhabited and uncovered villages.

The  financial  allocation  made  for  expansion  of  mobile  coverage  in  uncovered villages  of  the  country  during  the  last  three  years  under  project  of  Left  Wing Extremism(LWE) affected areas is as under:

| Year         |   2015-16 |   2016-17 |   2017-18 |
|--------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| Rs. in Crore |    617.05 |    280.68 |     710.9 |

## Service area wise total mobile telephone connections :

|                         | Total mobile million)   | telephone connections (in   | telephone connections (in   | telephone connections (in   |
|-------------------------|-------------------------|-----------------------------|-----------------------------|-----------------------------|
| Sr.No.                  | Service Area            | As on 31.03.2016            | As on 31.03.2017            | As on 31.03.2018            |
| 1 Andhra                | Pradesh 74.65           | 84.94                       |                             | 85.76                       |
| 2                       | Assam                   | 18.56                       | 21.84                       | 25.38                       |
| 3                       | Bihar                   | 74.51                       | 84.61                       | 88.65                       |
| Gujarat                 | 62.27                   | 71.84                       | 71.93                       | 4                           |
| Haryana                 | 23.26                   | 25.05                       | 23.58                       | 5                           |
| Himachal Pradesh        | 8.89                    | 10.43                       | 12.45                       | 6                           |
| Jammu & Kashmir         | 9.82                    | 11.91                       | 13.72                       | 7                           |
| Karnataka               | 61.34                   | 69.14                       | 67.00                       | 8                           |
| Kerala                  | 34.31                   | 39.16                       | 42.00                       | 9                           |
| Madhya Pradesh          | 65.67                   | 69.58                       | 70.52                       | 10                          |
| Maharashtra             | 84.10                   | 93.90                       | 94.61                       | 11                          |
| North East              | 11.07                   | 12.57                       | 13.86                       | 12                          |
| Odisha                  | 29.06                   | 34.29                       | 34.37                       | 13                          |
| Punjab                  | 31.75                   | 35.97                       | 38.14                       | 14                          |
| Rajasthan               | 60.09                   | 67.36                       | 65.24                       | 15                          |
| 16 Tamil Nadu           | 81.35                   | 89.26                       | 95.70                       |                             |
| Uttar Pradesh (East)    | 92.24                   | 104.56                      | 104.19                      | 17                          |
| 18 Uttar Pradesh (West) | 57.60                   | 66.68                       | 63.40                       |                             |
| West Bengal             | 49.50                   | 58.25                       | 58.88                       | 19                          |
| 20 Kolkata              | 25.03                   | 29.32                       | 28.81                       |                             |
| Delhi                   | 47.24                   | 53.35                       | 54.26                       | 21                          |
| 22 Mumbai               | 31.80                   | 36.58                       | 36.52                       |                             |
| Total                   |                         | 1034.11                     | 1170.59                     | 1188.99                     |

## ANNEXURE-II

## Service area wise mobile teledensity (in %) during the last three years:

|                                       | Mobile teledensity   |                  |                  |                  |
|---------------------------------------|----------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|
| Sr.No.                                | Service Area         | As on 31.03.2016 | As on 31.03.2017 | As on 31.03.2018 |
| 1                                     | Andhra Pradesh       | 84.43            | 95.34            | 95.56            |
| 2                                     | Assam                | 57.15            | 66.50            | 76.46            |
| 3 Bihar                               | 54.11                | 60.76            |                  | 62.96            |
| Gujarat                               | 97.85                | 111.60           | 110.50           | 4                |
| Haryana                               | 84.54                | 89.77            | 83.37            | 5                |
| Himachal Pradesh                      | 125.19               | 145.77           | 172.71           | 6                |
| Jammu & Kashmir                       | 78.96                | 94.84            | 108.28           | 7                |
| Karnataka                             | 98.27                | 109.83           | 105.55           | 8                |
| Kerala                                | 95.91                | 108.88           | 116.16           | 9                |
| Madhya Pradesh                        | 63.23                | 66.10            | 66.13            | 10               |
| Maharashtra                           | 85.05                | 94.00            | 93.78            | 11               |
| North East                            | 79.33                | 89.08            | 97.27            | 12               |
| Odisha                                | 68.37                | 80.06            | 79.64            | 13               |
| Punjab                                | 102.67               | 115.06           | 120.72           | 14               |
| Rajasthan                             | 82.29                | 91.02            | 87.03            | 15               |
| Tamil Nadu                            | 114.42               | 124.84           | 133.14           | 16               |
| 17 Uttar Pradesh (East) Uttar Pradesh | 65.43 (West)         | 73.64            | 71.01            | 18               |
| West Bengal                           | 62.69                | 73.18            | 73.39            | 19               |
| Kolkata                               | 157.82               | 183.01           | 178.08           | 20               |
| Delhi                                 | 221.43               | 243.08           | 240.35           | 21               |
| 22 Mumbai                             | 136.55               |                  | 153.96 150.67    |                  |
| Total                                 | 81.41                | 91.11            | 91.51            |                  |

Source: DoT

## ANNEXURE-III

## State-wise Status of Uncovered Villages

|     | Name of the State/UT               | Number of Uncovered Villages   |
|-----|------------------------------------|--------------------------------|
| 1.  | Andhra Pradesh including Telangana | 4,511                          |
| 2.  | Assam                              | 2,885                          |
| 3.  | Bihar                              | 2,283                          |
| 4.  | Jharkhand                          | 4,882                          |
| 5.  | NCT of Delhi                       | 0                              |
| 6.  | Gujarat                            | 1,275                          |
| 7.  | Dadar & Nagar Haveli               | 5                              |
| 8.  | Daman & Diu                        | 1                              |
| 9.  | Himachal Pradesh                   | 2,416                          |
| 10. | Haryana                            | 2                              |
| 11. | Jammu & Kashmir                    | 460                            |
| 12. | Karnataka                          | 0                              |
| 13. | Kerala                             | 0                              |
| 14. | Lakshadweep                        | 1                              |
| 15. | Maharashtra                        | 4,710                          |
| 16. | Goa                                | 65                             |
| 17. | Madhya Pradesh                     | 5,896                          |
| 18. | Chhattisgarh                       | 3,372                          |
| 19. | Arunachal Pradesh                  | 2,886                          |
| 20. | Manipur                            | 610                            |
| 21. | Meghalaya                          | 2,389                          |
| 22. | Mizoram                            | 258                            |
| 23. | Nagaland                           | 137                            |
| 24. | Tripura                            | 2                              |
| 25. | Odisha                             | 10,060                         |
| 26. | Punjab                             | 91                             |
| 27. | Rajasthan                          | 770                            |
| 28. | Tamil Nadu                         | 113                            |
| 29. | Puducherry                         | 0                              |
| 30. | Uttar Pradesh                      | 160                            |
| 31. | Uttarakhand                        | 1,876                          |
| 32. | West Bengal                        | 356                            |
| 33. | Sikkim                             | 23                             |
| 34. | Andaman & Nicobar Islands          | 190                            |
|     | TOTAL                              | 52,685                         |

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