Lok Sabha Question No. 2740 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-03-10
Subject: Telecom Towers in Rural Areas
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Rodmal Nagar, Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2740 TO BE ANSWERED ON 10 TH  MARCH, 2021

## TELECOM TOWERS IN RURAL AREAS

## †2740. SHRI RODMAL NAGAR:

SHRI MAGUNTA SREENIVASULU REDDY:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) the  total  number  of  villages  in  the  rural  areas  of  the  country  where  telecommunication towers were installed during each of the last two years and the current year, State/UT-wise and telecom company-wise; and
- (b) the number of such towers proposed to be installed in rural areas in the next financial year, State/ UT-wise and telecom company-wise?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) Sir, the total number of villages in the rural areas of the country where telecommunication towers were installed during each of the last two years and the current year, State/UT-wise and telecom company-wise is attached as Annexure-1.
- (b) Telecom companies explore opportunities to expand their network coverage by installing new towers.  This  is  subject  to  techno-commercial  feasibility  and  a  number  of  dynamic  factors which are beyond their control. Telecom Companies in most of the States/ UTs have expressed their  inability  to  provide  their  future  plan.  However,  for  some  of  the  States/  UTs  they  have provided number of towers proposed to be installed in rural areas in the next financial year which is attached as Annexure-2.

## Annexure-1

## Telecom company-wise total number of villages where telecom towers were installed during the last two years and the current year

| S No        | State/UT                              | Name of Company   | No. of Census inhibited villages where telecom towers   | No. of Census inhibited villages where telecom towers   | No. of Census inhibited villages where telecom towers   |
|-------------|---------------------------------------|-------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|
| S No        | State/UT                              | Name of Company   | During 2018-19                                          | were installed During 2019-20                           | During 2020-21                                          |
| 1           | Andaman and                           | BAL               | NIL                                                     | NIL                                                     | NIL                                                     |
| Nicobar     | Islands                               | BSNL              | NIL                                                     | 8                                                       | NIL                                                     |
| 1           | Andaman and                           | VIL               | NIL                                                     | NIL                                                     | NIL                                                     |
| 2           | Andhra Pradesh                        | BSNL              | 11                                                      | 12                                                      | 12                                                      |
| 2           | Andhra Pradesh                        | BAL               | 260                                                     | 309                                                     | 463                                                     |
| 2           | Andhra Pradesh                        | RJIL              | 2041                                                    | 594                                                     | 33                                                      |
| 2           | Andhra Pradesh                        | VIL               | NIL                                                     | NIL                                                     | NIL                                                     |
| 3           | Arunachal Pradesh                     | BSNL              | NIL                                                     | NIL                                                     | NIL                                                     |
| 3           | Arunachal Pradesh                     | RJIL              | 46                                                      | 52                                                      | NIL                                                     |
| 3           | Arunachal Pradesh                     | BHL               | 157                                                     | 275                                                     | 126                                                     |
| 4           |                                       | VIL               | 57                                                      | 12                                                      | 4                                                       |
| 4           |                                       | BAL               | 378                                                     | 570                                                     | 468                                                     |
| Assam       |                                       | BSNL              | 30                                                      | 2                                                       | NIL                                                     |
| 4           |                                       | RJIL              | 1274                                                    | 956                                                     | 703                                                     |
| 4           |                                       | VIL               | 7                                                       | 1                                                       | NIL                                                     |
| 5           | Bihar                                 | BAL               | 441                                                     | 1091                                                    | 928                                                     |
| 5           | Bihar                                 | BSNL              | NIL                                                     | NIL                                                     | NIL                                                     |
| 5           | Bihar                                 | VIL               | 247                                                     | 295                                                     | 4                                                       |
| 5           | Bihar                                 | RJIL              | 2424                                                    | 2208                                                    | 1388                                                    |
| 6           |                                       | BAL               | 1                                                       | 1                                                       | 3                                                       |
| Chandigarh  |                                       | BSNL              | NIL                                                     | NIL                                                     | NIL                                                     |
| 6           |                                       | RJIL              | NIL                                                     | NIL                                                     | NIL                                                     |
| 6           |                                       | VIL               | NIL                                                     | NIL                                                     | 1                                                       |
| 7           |                                       | BSNL              | 44                                                      | 13                                                      | 2                                                       |
| Chattisgarh |                                       | VIL               | 2                                                       | 3                                                       | NIL                                                     |
| 7           |                                       | RJIL              | 2192                                                    | 777                                                     | 670                                                     |
| 7           |                                       | BAL               | 65                                                      | 232                                                     | 22                                                      |
| 8           | Dadra and Nagar Haveli &Daman and Diu | BAL               | 2                                                       | 1                                                       | 1                                                       |
| 8           | Dadra and Nagar Haveli &Daman and Diu | VIL               | NIL                                                     | 2                                                       | 4                                                       |
| 8           | Dadra and Nagar Haveli &Daman and Diu | BSNL              | NIL                                                     | NIL                                                     | NIL                                                     |
| 8           | Dadra and Nagar Haveli &Daman and Diu | RJIL              | 16                                                      | 4                                                       | 1                                                       |
| 9           | Goa                                   | BAL               | 9                                                       | 5                                                       | 2                                                       |
| 9           | Goa                                   | VIL               | NIL                                                     | 1                                                       | NIL                                                     |
| 9           | Goa                                   | RJIL              | 87                                                      | 25                                                      | 8                                                       |
| 9           | Goa                                   | BSNL              | 34                                                      | 8                                                       | 1                                                       |
| 10          | Gujarat                               | BAL               | 265                                                     | 152                                                     | 279                                                     |
| 10          | Gujarat                               | VIL               | 94                                                      | 144                                                     | 209                                                     |
| 10          | Gujarat                               | BSNL              | 79                                                      | 64                                                      | 36                                                      |
|             |                                       | RJIL              | 2905                                                    | 1321                                                    | 1036                                                    |
|             |                                       | RJIL BSNL         | 2173 NIL                                                | 351 NIL                                                 | 35 NIL                                                  |
|             | Haryana                               | BAL               | 112                                                     | 52                                                      | 350                                                     |
|             |                                       | VIL               |                                                         |                                                         | 45                                                      |
| 12          |                                       |                   | 50                                                      | 164                                                     | 4                                                       |
| Himachal    | Pradesh                               | BSNL              | 11                                                      | 14                                                      |                                                         |

|    | RJIL     | 777    | 489    | 89    |
|----|----------|--------|--------|-------|
|    | VIL      | 51     | 10     | NIL   |
|    | BAL      | 290    | 255    | 416   |
| 13 | BAL      | 194    | 103    | 191   |
| 13 | RJIL     | 1231   | 448    | 193   |
|    | BSNL     | NIL    | NIL    | 3     |
|    | VIL      | 30     | 36     | NIL   |
|    | BAL      | 127    | 540    | 583   |
|    | BSNL     | 42     | NIL    | NIL   |
| 14 | VIL      | 58     | 47     | NIL   |
|    | RJIL     | 1361   | 933    | 948   |
| 15 | RJIL     | 1839   | 1474   | 656   |
|    | BAL      | 470    | 1067   | 1066  |
|    | VIL      | NIL    | NIL    | NIL   |
|    | BSNL     | 38     | 19     | 6     |
|    | BSNL     | 83     | 40     | 22    |
|    | VIL      | 3      | 4      | NIL   |
|    | RJIL     | 32     | 39     | 17    |
|    | BAL      | 151    | 42     | 220   |
|    | BSNL     | 15     | 10     | 4     |
|    | VIL      | NIL    | NIL    | NIL   |
|    | BAL      | 16     | 9      | 47    |
|    | RJIL     | 54     | 34     | 21    |
| 18 | BAL      | NIL    | NIL    | NIL   |
|    | BSNL     | 2      | 1      | NIL   |
|    | BAL      | 50     | 42     | 80    |
| 19 | BSNL     | 114    | 481    | NIL   |
|    | RJIL     | 4474   | 1758   | 932   |
|    | VIL BAL  | 15 255 | 46 558 | 4 349 |
|    | VIL      | 28     | 14     | 45    |
| 20 | RJIL     | 3725   | 2120   | 387   |
|    | BSNL     | 1305   | 532    | 59    |
|    | MTNL     | NIL    | NIL    | NIL   |
| 21 | BSNL     | 8      | 55     | 14    |
|    | RJIL     | 86     | 68     | 4     |
|    | BHL      | 187    | 401    | 301   |
|    | VIL      | 31     | 11     | 3     |
| 22 | BSNL     | NIL    | NIL    | NIL   |
|    | RJIL     | 189    | 230    | 2     |
|    | BHL      | 238    | 146    | 142   |
|    | VIL      | 52     | 45     | NIL   |
| 23 | BSNL     | NIL    | NIL    | NIL   |
|    | RJIL     | 37     | 37     | NIL   |
|    | BHL      | 97     | 238    | 121   |
|    | VIL      | 4      | 2      | NIL   |
| 24 | BSNL     | NIL    | 30     | 3     |
|    | RJIL     | 64     | 76     | 1     |
|    | BHL      | 139    | 237    | 130   |
|    | VIL      | 23     | 14     | 2     |
|    | BAL      | 8      | 18     | 7     |
|    | VIL RJIL | 11 35  | 24 11  | 13 7  |

|    | MTNL     | NIL      | NIL      | NIL     |
|----|----------|----------|----------|---------|
| 26 | BAL      | 573      | 687      | 873     |
|    | BSNL     | 84       | 51       | 13      |
|    | RJIL     | 2278     | 1256     | 591     |
|    | VIL      | 18       | 41       | 5       |
|    | BAL      | 3        | 1        | 1       |
| 27 | BSNL     | NIL      | NIL      | NIL     |
|    | RJIL     | 51       | 17       | 11      |
|    | VIL      | 1        | 5        | 9       |
| 28 | BAL      | 349      | 152      | 345     |
|    | BSNL     | 15       | NIL      | NIL     |
|    | RJIL     | 1772     | 187      | 1       |
|    | VIL      | 70       | 26       | 120     |
| 29 | VIL      | 18       | 14       | 15      |
|    | BSNL     | 32       | NIL      | 5       |
|    | RJIL     | 4653     | 1995     | 234     |
|    | BHL      | 251      | 901      | 1041    |
|    | BAL      | 1        | 9        | 1       |
|    | BSNL     | NIL      | NIL      | NIL     |
| 30 | RJIL     | 28       | 34       | 13      |
|    | VIL      | NIL      | NIL      | NIL     |
|    | BAL      | 2384     | 166      | 295     |
|    | VIL      | 541      | 347      | 563     |
| 31 | BSNL     | 2        | 2        | NIL     |
|    | RJIL     | 5766     | 1491     | 834     |
|    | BSNL     | 13       | 7        | 3       |
| 32 | BAL      | 212      | 190      | 350     |
|    | VIL      | NIL      | NIL      | NIL     |
|    | RJIL     | 1699     | 583      | 40      |
|    | BSNL     | NIL      | NIL      | NIL     |
|    | RJIL     | 128      | 80       | 1       |
|    | BHL      | 294      | 165      | 129     |
|    | VIL      | 37       | 6        | NIL     |
|    | BAL      | 417      | 174      | 728     |
|    | BSNL     | 322      | 6        | 1       |
| 34 | RJIL     | 7125     | 1797     | 1078    |
|    | VIL      | 31       | 587      | 63      |
|    | VIL      | NIL      | NIL      | NIL     |
|    | RJIL     | 436      | 481      | 471     |
| 35 | BAL      | 90       | 32       | 95      |
|    | BSNL     | 3        | 18       | 1       |
|    | BAL      | 1        | 5        | 16      |
| 36 | BSNL     | NIL      | NIL      | NIL     |
|    | RJIL VIL | 2003 NIL | 1874 NIL | 168 NIL |

## Legends:

BAL :

Bharti Airtel Limited

BHL :

Bharti Hexacom Limited

BSNL :

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited

MTNL :

Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited

RJIL :

Reliance JioInfocomm Limited

VIL :

Vodafone Idea Limited

***

## Annexure-2

## Telecom company-wise number of such towers proposed to be installed in rural areas in the next financial year, State/ UT-wise

|   S No | State/UT                    | Name of TSPs/Company   |   No. of Census inhibited villages where telecom towers proposed to be installed during next Financial Year |
|--------|-----------------------------|------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|      1 | Andaman and Nicobar Islands | BSNL                   |                                                                                                          10 |
|      2 | Andhra Pradesh              | BSNL                   |                                                                                                          20 |
|      3 | Assam                       | BSNL                   |                                                                                                          45 |
|      4 | Karnataka                   | BAL                    |                                                                                                         350 |
|      5 | Odisha                      | BSNL                   |                                                                                                         120 |
|      6 | Sikkim                      | BAL                    |                                                                                                           9 |
|      7 | Tamil Nadu                  | BSNL                   |                                                                                                           5 |

Legends:

BAL :

Bharti Airtel Limited

BSNL :

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited

************