Lok Sabha Question No. 675 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-07-20
Subject: Digital outreach across the country
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Sukhbir Singh Jaunapuria

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 675 TO BE ANSWERED ON 20 TH  JULY, 2022

## DIGITAL OUTREACH ACROSS THE COUNTRY

## †675.   SHRI SUKHBIR SINGH JAUNAPURIA:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  private  companies  are  reluctant  to  invest  in  rural  India  due  to  which  the condition of broadband penetration in rural areas is very poor;
- (b) if so, the details thereof; and if not, the remedial measures taken by the Government in this regard;
- (c) the details of the measures taken by the Government for deeper digital outreach in urban and rural areas in the country;
- (d) whether  any  funds  have  been  earmarked  for  providing  internet  broadband  services separately in urban and rural areas during the 12th Five Year Plan and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) whether the Government proposes to improve the penetration of internet in rural areas especially in Rajasthan and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(a) To (c) As  per  latest  'The  Indian  Telecom  Services  Performance  Indicators'  reports released  by  Telecom  Regulatory  Authority  of  India  (TRAI)  dated  10 th January,  2022,  internet subscribers  in  rural  and  urban  areas  of  the  country  are  336.60  million  and  497.69  million respectively at the end of September, 2021.

Following  steps  have  been  taken  by  the  Government  for  enhancing  digital  outreach  in  the country:

- (i) Mobile/Broadband/Internet services are provided in a phased manner  by  the Government and Telecom Services Provider (TSPs) in the uncovered villages of the country.  The  Government,  with  funding  from  Universal  Service  Obligation  Fund (USOF), has schemes namely Comprehensive Telecom Development Plan for North Eastern Region, Left Wing Extremism (LWE) Affected Area schemes, Aspirational Districts  Schemes,  Comprehensive  Telecom  Development  Plan  for  Islands,  etc.  to

extend mobile connectivity through setting up of towers in the uncovered villages of the country.

- (ii) BharatNet  project is  implemented  in  a  phased  manner  to  provide  broadband connectivity to all Gram Panchayats (GPs) in the country. The infrastructure created under  BharatNet  project  can  be  utilized  by  Service  providers,  for  provisioning  of broadband/internet services. The scope of BharatNet has been recently extended up to all inhabited villages beyond GPs in the country.

National Broadband Mission (NBM) was launched on 17th 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.

To enhance proliferation of broadband services through public Wifi, Prime Minister Wireless Access Network Interface (PM-WANI) framework has been introduced.  The PM-WANI  framework  enables provision of broadband through a distributed architecture  and  unbundling  of  functions.  Under  this  framework  entities  are  neither required to take any license nor pay any fee to the Government. The details of the same are available at website pmwani.gov.in

(d) & (e)   Licensed Service providers provide broadband services in urban and rural areas of the country as per their business plans. However, for expansion of broadband services in rural and remote  areas  of  the  country,  there  are  various  Government  schemes  with  the  support  from Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) under which total fund earmarked/disbursed for last 5 years and current year till February, 2022 is about 31529 Cr.

In  addition  to  BharatNet  project  in  Rajasthan,  the  Government  has  following  schemes under USOF for enhancing internet/broadband in the state:

- (i) Provision of mobile connectivity in 354 uncovered villages, Border area & other priority areas of various states including Rajasthan.
- (ii) Provision  of  4G  mobile  connectivity  in  502  uncovered  villages  of  Aspirational Districts in four States including Rajasthan.

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