Lok Sabha Question No. 5563 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-04-06
Subject: Mobile Towers in Tribal Areas
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Khan Saumitra

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5563 TO BE ANSWERED ON 6 TH  APRIL, 2022

## MOBILE TOWERS IN TRIBAL AREAS

## 5563.   SHRI SAUMITRA KHAN:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

(a) the steps taken by the Government to expedite the setting up of mobile towers in tribal and  hilly  areas  of  the  country  including  West  Bengal  to  address  the  problem  of  poor connectivity;

(b) the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  improve  the  reach  and  quality  of  broadband services of BSNL in rural areas in view of huge increase in internet consumption on account of online education during the pandemic years;

(c) whether the Government is planning to provide BSNL broadband connections in rural areas and if so, the details thereof and the steps taken by the Government to provide such connections in rural areas of West Bengal; and

(d) the  time  by  which  all  the  rural  areas  will  be  connected  with  broadband  services  of BSNL?

## ANSWER

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

(a) The  Government  through  Universal  Service  Obligation  Fund  (USOF)  and  Telecom Service  Providers  (TSPs)  provides  Mobile  coverage  in  rural,  tribal  and  hilly  areas  of  the country including the State of West Bengal in a phased manner. Government has approved various schemes/projects through USOF for mobile and broadband coverage in rural, tribal and hilly areas across the country. The details of the schemes are attached as Annexure-I .

(b) to (d) The  Government  has  approved  the  revival  plan  for  BSNL  on  23.10.2019, which,  inter-alia,  includes  administrative  allotment  of  spectrum  for  providing  4G  services. With  the  launch  of  4G  services  on  Pan-India  basis,  reach  and  quality  of  BSNL  wireless broadband services will expand in the country including in rural areas of West Bengal.

Annexure-I Annexure referred to in reply of part (a) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 5563 to be  answered  on  06 th   April,  2022  raised  by  Hon'ble  Member  of  Parliament  regarding 'Mobile Towers in Tribal Areas'

Details of schemes/projects to provide/facilitate the mobile and broadband services in rural, tribal and hilly areas across the country:

- i. Under  LWE  Phase-I  scheme,  2,343  mobile  towers  have  been  installed  in  LWE areas  which  including  96  mobile  towers  of  the  State  of  West  Bengal  and  are providing services. Under LWE Phase-II scheme, 2,542 mobile towers at Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) identified locations are approved across the LWE States which includes 33 identified locations of the State of West Bengal;
- ii. Scheme  for  providing  mobile  connectivity  in  354  villages  of  uncovered  border areas  including  Ladakh  and  Kargil  Region,  Himachal  Pradesh,  Uttarakhand  and other priority areas including one(1) village of the State of West Bengal;
- iii. Comprehensive Telecom Development Plan for mobile connectivity in the North Eastern Region to provide mobile coverage in uncovered villages and along with the National Highways;
- iv. Scheme  for  providing  4G  mobile  connectivity  in  502  uncovered  villages  of Aspirational  Districts  in  four  States,  namely,  Uttar  Pradesh,  Bihar,  Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan;
- v. Scheme for provisioning of 4G based Mobile service in 7287 uncovered villages of Aspirational Districts of  5  States  Andhra  Pradesh,  Chhattisgarh,  Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Odisha;
- vi. Laying of submarine optical fibre cable between Chennai and Andaman & Nicobar Islands for providing connectivity to Andaman & Nicobar Islands;
- vii. Mobile connectivity to cover uncovered villages and along National Highway (NH 223) in Andaman & Nicobar Islands;
- viii. Mobile connectivity has been enhanced in Lakshadweep Islands by installing 10 mobile towers;
- ix. Satellite bandwidth augmentation upto 4 Gbps for Andaman & Nicobar Islands;
- x. Satellite bandwidth augmentation upto 1.71 Gbps for Lakshadweep Islands.

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