Lok Sabha Question No. 390 (STARRED), answered on 2022-03-30
Subject: Mobile Internet in Maharashtra
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Ramdas Chandrabhanji Tadas, Saikia Dilip, Sunil Baburao Mendhe

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 390 TO BE ANSWERED ON 30 TH  MARCH, 2022

## MOBILE INTERNET IN MAHARASHTRA

- *390. SHRI RAMDAS C. TADAS: SHRI SUNIL BABURAO MENDHE:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of the current penetration percentage of Mobile Internet in rural and urban areas in Maharashtra State;
- (b) the details of the current status of the BharatNet Scheme and the number of beneficiaries covered under the above said scheme;
- (c) the time by which Maharashtra State is expected to achieve 100% internet coverage;
- (d) the status of the PM WANI Scheme and the expected number of beneficiaries in the State;
- (e) whether internet facility is not available in many far-flung areas of Maharashtra even today and if so, the details thereof; and
- (f) whether any steps are being taken by the Government to start the facility of mobile internet connectivity in these areas and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, COMMUNICATIONS & ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

- (a) to (f) A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT TO BE LAID ON THE TABLE OF THE LOK SABHA IN RESPECT OF PARTS (a)  TO  (f)  OF  THE  LOK  SABHA  STARRED  QUESTION  NO.  390  FOR  30 TH MARCH, 2022 REGARDING 'MOBILE INTERNET IN MAHARASHTRA'.

(a) As per the latest 'The Indian Telecom Services Performance Indicators' report published by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on 10 th January, 2022, the number of internet subscribers per 100 population (including mobile internet subscribers) in rural and urban areas of Maharashtra (including Goa) at the end of September, 2021 are as below:

|                             | No. of Internet subscribers per 100 population   | No. of Internet subscribers per 100 population   | No. of Internet subscribers per 100 population   |
|-----------------------------|--------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------|
| State                       | Rural                                            | Urban                                            | Total                                            |
| Maharashtra (including Goa) | 83.10                                            | 122.05                                           | 101.98                                           |

(b) & (c) BharatNet  project  is  implemented  in  a  phased  manner  to  provide  broadband connectivity to all Gram Panchayats (GPs) in the country. On 30.06.2021, the scope of BharatNet was extended upto all inhabited villages beyond GPs in the country including Maharashtra. The likely date for completion of the project is 2025. As on 28.02.2022, a total number of 1,72,361 GPs are made Service Ready in the country.

In  Maharashtra,  the  Phase-II  is  implemented  in  State-led  model  through  the  State Government under which, 6,807 GPs have been made Service Ready out of about 12,740 planned GPs, as on 28.02.2022. Further, 4 GPs have been made Service Ready on Satellite media out of 6 planned GPs. In Phase-I, a total number of 15,171 GPs were taken up for implementation through Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL), out of which 15,166 GPs have been made Service Ready. In total, 21,977 GPs have been made Service Ready in Maharashtra.

The infrastructure created under BharatNet project is a national asset, accessible on a nondiscriminatory basis to the Service Providers, and the same can be utilized to provide benefits of telecom services to the citizens.

- (d) Under the PM-WANI framework, Wi-Fi Access Points are set up by small entrepreneurs depending  on  the  market  demand  with  an  objective  to  earn  return  on  their  investment.  As on 22.03.2022, about 5,212 Wi-Fi Access points have been set up in the State of Maharashtra under the PM WANI framework.
- (e) & (f) As per data provided by Telecom Service Providers and field units of Department of Telecommunications, it is estimated that out of 40,959 inhabited villages (as per Census 2011) in the State of Maharashtra, a total number of 37,572 villages have mobile wireless broadband coverage.  Internet/broadband  facility  is  provided  in  rural  areas  by  the  Government  and  the Licensed Service Providers in phased manner.

The Government has following schemes under Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) for enhancing internet/broadband in the State of Maharashtra:

- (i) A  scheme  for  7,287  uncovered  villages  is  approved  by  Cabinet  on  17.11.2021  for provisioning of 4G based Mobile services in 44 Aspirational Districts of 5 States including 610 uncovered villages in 4 Aspirational Districts of Maharashtra.
- (ii) Installation of 2542 mobile towers for provisioning of 4G mobile services including 125 mobile towers in Maharashtra under Left Wing Extremism (LWE) Phase-II scheme.

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