Lok Sabha Question No. 966 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-02-08
Subject: Mobile Network Problem in North East
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Naba (Hira) Kumar Sarania

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 966 TO BE ANSWERED ON 8 TH  FEBRUARY, 2023

## MOBILE NETWORK PROBLEMS IN NORTH EAST

## †966.   SHRI NABA KUMAR SARANIA:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

(a) whether people of North Eastern States including Assam are still facing inconvenience in using internet services and mobile services;

- (b) if so, the details of the steps being taken by the Government to address the same;

(c) whether it is a fact that people of North Eastern States are still using 2G services while 4G services are operational in rest of the country and if so, the reasons therefor; and

(d) the  district-wise  details  of  the  towers  installed  in  Assam  and  other  North  Eastern  States during the last three years?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMUNICATIONS (SHRI DEVUSINH CHAUHAN)

(a) to (c) Mobile services are provided in a phased manner by the Telecom Service Providers and the Government in the uncovered villages of the country.

Government  through  funding  from  Universal  Service  Obligation  Fund  (USOF)  is  implementing various schemes for providing mobile network coverage in all remaining uncovered villages of the country, including North Eastern States.

As per the data, out of 45,934 villages in North Eastern States (including Assam), around 36,608 number of villages are having mobile network connectivity and around 35,817 number of villages are having high speed mobile internet through 3G/4G. The reasons for not having mobile connectivity in villages include, inter-alia, remote and tough terrain, areas diversely located with scattered population and commercially non-viable operations.

The Union Cabinet has approved a project for saturation of 4G mobile services in uncovered villages across the country, including North Eastern States. In addition, villages having only 2G/3G connectivity shall also be upgraded to 4G under this project.

(d) The District-wise details of the towers installed in Assam and other North Eastern States during the last three years are given in Annexure .

Annexure  referred  to  in  Part  (d)  of  the  Lok  Sabha  Unstarred  Question  No.  966  for  answer  on 08.02.2023

## District-wise details of the towers installed in Assam and other North Eastern States during the last three years

| S.   | State             | District                 |   No. of Towers installed |   No. of Towers installed |   No. of Towers installed |
|------|-------------------|--------------------------|---------------------------|---------------------------|---------------------------|
| No.  |                   |                          |                      2020 |                      2021 |                      2022 |
| 1    | Assam             | Baksa                    |                        46 |                        61 |                        38 |
| 2    | Assam             | Barpeta                  |                        80 |                       142 |                        88 |
| 3    | Assam             | Biswanath                |                        18 |                        19 |                        21 |
| 4    | Assam             | Bongaigaon               |                        24 |                        68 |                        30 |
| 5    | Assam             | Cachar                   |                        64 |                       122 |                        78 |
| 6    | Assam             | Charaideo                |                         8 |                        10 |                        12 |
| 7    | Assam             | Chirang                  |                         9 |                        23 |                        17 |
| 8    | Assam             | Darrang                  |                        71 |                        67 |                        42 |
| 9    | Assam             | Dhemaji                  |                        39 |                        40 |                        14 |
| 10   | Assam             | Dhubri                   |                        57 |                       156 |                        64 |
| 11   | Assam             | Dibrugarh                |                        44 |                        82 |                        79 |
| 12   | Assam             | Dima Hasao               |                        21 |                        32 |                        47 |
| 13   | Assam             | Goalpara                 |                        64 |                        89 |                        38 |
| 14   | Assam             | Golaghat                 |                        48 |                       109 |                        48 |
| 15   | Assam             | Hailakandi               |                        33 |                        66 |                        16 |
| 16   | Assam             | Hojai                    |                        32 |                        65 |                        44 |
| 17   | Assam             | Jorhat                   |                        29 |                        65 |                        33 |
| 18   | Assam             | Kamrup                   |                        74 |                       126 |                       103 |
| 19   | Assam             | Kamrup (Metro)           |                       116 |                       198 |                       163 |
| 20   | Assam             | Karbi Anglong            |                        40 |                        45 |                        93 |
| 21   | Assam             | Karimganj                |                        39 |                        97 |                        70 |
| 22   | Assam             | Kokrajhar                |                        38 |                        54 |                        28 |
| 23   | Assam             | Lakhimpur                |                        52 |                        70 |                        37 |
| 24   | Assam             | Majuli                   |                         3 |                        12 |                         7 |
| 25   | Assam             | Morigaon                 |                        39 |                        55 |                        31 |
| 26   | Assam             | Nagaon                   |                        70 |                       138 |                        46 |
| 27   | Assam             | Nalbari                  |                        50 |                        46 |                        22 |
| 28   | Assam             | Sivasagar                |                        30 |                        48 |                        20 |
| 29   | Assam             | Sonitpur                 |                        43 |                        58 |                        40 |
| 30   | Assam             | South Salmara- Mankachar |                         4 |                        15 |                        17 |
| 31   | Assam             | Tinsukia                 |                        56 |                        60 |                        53 |
| 32   | Assam             | Udalguri                 |                        29 |                        68 |                        47 |
| 33   | Assam             | West Karbi Anglong       |                         0 |                         7 |                        16 |
| 34   | Arunachal Pradesh | Papum Pare               |                        28 |                        59 |                        61 |
| 35   | Arunachal Pradesh | West Kameng              |                        23 |                        28 |                        16 |
| 36   | Arunachal Pradesh | Tawang                   |                         4 |                         2 |                         5 |
| 37   | Arunachal Pradesh | Lower Subansiri          |                        14 |                         7 |                         8 |
| 38   | Arunachal Pradesh | Tirap                    |                         2 |                         5 |                         5 |
| 39   | Arunachal Pradesh | Lower Dibang Valley      |                         3 |                         5 |                         9 |

| S.    | State                     | District                               | No. of Towers installed   | No. of Towers installed   | No. of Towers installed   |
|-------|---------------------------|----------------------------------------|---------------------------|---------------------------|---------------------------|
| No.   |                           |                                        | 2020                      | 2021                      | 2022                      |
| 40    | Arunachal Pradesh         | East Siang                             | 10                        | 11                        | 20                        |
| 41    | Arunachal Pradesh         | Upper Subansiri                        | 8                         | 4                         | 15                        |
| 42    | Arunachal Pradesh         | Changlang                              | 7                         | 10                        | 15                        |
| 43    | Arunachal Pradesh         | Namsai                                 | 3                         | 3                         | 5                         |
| 44    | Arunachal Pradesh         | East Kameng                            | 7                         | 9                         | 24                        |
| 45    | Arunachal Pradesh         | West Siang                             | 7                         | 7                         | 11                        |
| 46    | Arunachal Pradesh         | Upper Siang                            | 1                         | 8                         | 7                         |
| 47    | Arunachal Pradesh         | Lower Siang                            | 2                         | 3                         | 1                         |
| 48    | Arunachal Pradesh         | Lepa Rada                              | 0                         | 0                         | 4                         |
| 49    | Arunachal Pradesh         | Kurung Kumey                           | 1                         | 4                         | 1                         |
| 50    | Arunachal Pradesh         | Dibang Valley                          | 0                         | 3                         | 0                         |
| 51    | Arunachal Pradesh         | Siang                                  | 1                         | 2                         | 5                         |
| 52    | Arunachal Pradesh         | Anjaw                                  | 1                         | 3                         | 0                         |
| 53    | Arunachal Pradesh         | Lohit                                  | 4                         | 4                         | 16                        |
| 54    | Arunachal Pradesh         | Pakke Kesang                           | 1                         | 4                         | 2                         |
| 55    | Arunachal Pradesh         | Longding                               | 0                         | 4                         | 4                         |
| 56    | Arunachal Pradesh         | Kra Daadi                              | 0                         | 0                         | 7                         |
| 57    | Arunachal Pradesh         | Shi Yomi                               | 0                         | 1                         | 0                         |
| 58 59 | Arunachal Pradesh Manipur | Kamle Imphal West                      | 1 47                      | 1 47                      | 12 48                     |
| 60    | Manipur                   | Imphal East                            | 38                        | 29                        | 32                        |
| 61    | Manipur                   | Ukhrul                                 | 9                         | 18                        | 22                        |
| 62    | Manipur                   | Bishnupur                              | 34                        | 11                        | 11                        |
|       |                           |                                        |                           | 52                        |                           |
| 63    | Manipur                   | Churachandpur                          | 86                        |                           | 28                        |
| 64    | Manipur                   | Senapati                               | 19                        | 17                        | 16                        |
| 65    | Manipur                   | Thoubal                                | 27                        | 41                        | 24                        |
| 66    | Manipur                   | Kangpokpi                              | 5                         | 15                        | 6                         |
| 67 68 | Manipur Manipur           | Chandel Kakching                       | 25 7                      | 11 16                     | 5 10                      |
| 69    | Manipur                   |                                        |                           |                           |                           |
|       |                           | Tamenglong                             | 28                        | 17                        | 12                        |
| 70    | Manipur                   | Jiribam                                | 4                         | 5                         | 0                         |
| 71 73 | Manipur Manipur           | Tengnoupal Noney                       | 2 0                       | 1 4                       | 3 3                       |
| 72    | Manipur                   | Kamjong                                | 10                        | 6                         | 0                         |
| 75    | Meghalaya                 | East Khasi Hills                       | 8                         | 23                        | 38                        |
| 74    | Manipur                   | Pherzawl                               | 19                        | 6                         | 1                         |
|       | Meghalaya                 | East Garo Hills                        | 19                        | 29                        | 28                        |
| 76    |                           |                                        |                           |                           | 39                        |
| 77    | Meghalaya                 | Ri Bhoi                                | 6                         | 29                        |                           |
| 78    | Meghalaya                 | West Jaintia Hills                     | 8                         | 14                        | 11                        |
| 79    | Meghalaya                 | North Garo Hills                       | 7                         | 42                        | 21                        |
| 80    | Meghalaya                 | West Garo Hills                        | 35                        | 67                        | 27                        |
| 81    | Meghalaya                 | East Jaintia Hills                     | 4                         | 5                         | 12                        |
| 82    | Meghalaya                 | West Khasi Hills                       | 8                         | 23                        | 81                        |
| 83 84 | Meghalaya Meghalaya       | South Garo Hills South West Garo Hills | 8 3                       | 19 9                      | 70 7                      |
| 85    | Meghalaya                 | South West Khasi Hills                 | 1                         | 4                         | 35                        |
| 86    | Mizoram                   | Lunglei                                | 20                        | 37                        | 19                        |

| S.    | State    |               |   No. of Towers installed |   No. of Towers installed |   No. of Towers installed |
|-------|----------|---------------|---------------------------|---------------------------|---------------------------|
| No.   |          | District      |                      2020 |                      2021 |                      2022 |
| 87    | Mizoram  | Saiha         |                        16 |                         6 |                         6 |
| 88    | Mizoram  | Lawngtlai     |                        28 |                        14 |                        11 |
| 89    | Mizoram  | Champhai      |                         8 |                        20 |                        26 |
| 90    | Mizoram  | Kolasib       |                         5 |                        10 |                         8 |
| 91    | Mizoram  | Aizawl        |                        24 |                        42 |                        82 |
| 92    | Mizoram  | Mamit         |                        10 |                        16 |                         8 |
| 93    | Mizoram  | Serchhip      |                         8 |                         6 |                         9 |
| 94    | Nagaland | Dimapur       |                        34 |                        47 |                        37 |
| 95    | Nagaland | Mokokchung    |                         9 |                         8 |                        18 |
| 96    | Nagaland | Tuensang      |                        16 |                        16 |                        10 |
| 97    | Nagaland | Peren         |                         6 |                         8 |                         2 |
| 98    | Nagaland | Kohima        |                        18 |                        12 |                        16 |
| 99    | Nagaland | Phek          |                        13 |                         8 |                         9 |
| 100   | Nagaland | Wokha         |                        21 |                        14 |                         5 |
| 101   | Nagaland | Mon           |                        11 |                        19 |                        10 |
| 102   | Nagaland | Longleng      |                         0 |                         1 |                         6 |
| 103   | Nagaland | Kiphire       |                         9 |                         3 |                         5 |
| 104   | Nagaland | Zunheboto     |                         4 |                         6 |                         6 |
| 105   | Nagaland | Noklak        |                         0 |                         0 |                         0 |
| 106   | Sikkim   | East          |                        12 |                        52 |                        48 |
| 107   | Sikkim   | West          |                         6 |                        32 |                        12 |
| 108   | Sikkim   | South         |                        11 |                        32 |                        18 |
| 109   | Sikkim   | North         |                         1 |                        20 |                         8 |
| 110   | Tripura  | West Tripura  |                        76 |                        82 |                        47 |
| 111   | Tripura  | Sipahijala    |                        12 |                        43 |                        17 |
| 112   | Tripura  | South Tripura |                        32 |                        42 |                        20 |
| 113   | Tripura  | North Tripura |                        30 |                        35 |                        15 |
| 114   | Tripura  | Dhalai        |                         8 |                        41 |                        16 |
| 115   | Tripura  | Unakoti       |                        13 |                        34 |                        17 |
| 116   | Tripura  | Gomati        |                        18 |                        24 |                         9 |
| 117   | Tripura  | Khowai        |                        14 |                        22 |                         7 |
| Total | Total    | Total         |                      2458 |                      3812 |                      2872 |

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