Lok Sabha Question No. 2882 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-12-15
Subject: Internet Connectivity in Remote Areas
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Poonamben Hematbhai Maadam

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2882 TO BE ANSWERED ON 15 TH  DECEMBER, 2021

## INTERNET CONNECTIVITY IN REMOTE AREAS

## 2882.   SHRIMATI POONAMBEN MAADAM:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is taking steps to ensure internet connectivity in remote and rural areas;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the  number  of  villages  in  the  rural  areas  of  the  country  where  telecommunication towers have been set  up  during  the  last  three  years,  State/UT-wise  and  telecom  companywise; and
- (d) the details of the plan for the next financial year?

## ANSWER

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

(a) & (b):  Internet  facility  is  provided  in  rural  areas  by  the  Government  and  the  Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) through wireless mobile and fixed wireline connections in phased manner. As per data provided by Telecom Service Providers and field units of Department of Telecommunications, it is  estimated  that  out  of 5,97,618  inhabited  villages  (as  per  Census 2011) in the country, mobile wireless coverage has been provided in 5,72,551 villages. In  addition  to  this,  BharatNet  project  is  envisaged  in  all  the  Gram  Panchayats  (GPs)  and villages of the country to provide high speed internet/broadband. As on 01.11.2021, a total of 1,66,088  Gram  Panchayats  have  been  made  service  ready  in  the  country  with  broadband infrastructure under BharatNet.

(c ) Telecom towers are shared by many Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) for installation of their  Base  Transceiver  Stations(BTSs)  which  radiate  the  mobile  signals.  The  number  of villages  in  the  rural  areas  of  the  country  where  BTSs  have  been  set  up  by  different  TSPs during the last three financial years are at Annexure- A.

(d)  Telecom Towers/BTSs are installed by various Infrastructure Providers/ TSPs based on various factors such as techno-commercial viability, Right of Way (RoW) permissions etc.

## Annexure - A

## Annexure-A referred to in reply to part (c) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 2882 for 15.12.2021

State/UT-wise number of inhabited villages in the rural areas of the country where BTSs have been set up by different TSPs

| S.No.   | State/UT          | Year    | No. of inhabited villages in the rural areas of the country where BTSs have been set up by different   | No. of inhabited villages in the rural areas of the country where BTSs have been set up by different   | No. of inhabited villages in the rural areas of the country where BTSs have been set up by different   | No. of inhabited villages in the rural areas of the country where BTSs have been set up by different   |
|---------|-------------------|---------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|         |                   |         | RJIL                                                                                                   | BAL                                                                                                    | VIL                                                                                                    | BSNL                                                                                                   |
| 1       | Andaman & Nicobar | 2018-19 | 0                                                                                                      | 0                                                                                                      | 0                                                                                                      | 0                                                                                                      |
| 1       | Andaman & Nicobar | 2019-20 | 0                                                                                                      | 0                                                                                                      | 0                                                                                                      | 51                                                                                                     |
| 1       | Andaman & Nicobar | 2020-21 | 0                                                                                                      | 0                                                                                                      | 0                                                                                                      | 12                                                                                                     |
| 2       | Andhra Pradesh    | 2018-19 | 6123                                                                                                   | 1475                                                                                                   | 117                                                                                                    | 490                                                                                                    |
| 2       | Andhra Pradesh    | 2019-20 | 1782                                                                                                   | 1156                                                                                                   | 35                                                                                                     | 194                                                                                                    |
| 2       | Andhra Pradesh    | 2020-21 | 99                                                                                                     | 1269                                                                                                   | 23                                                                                                     | 116                                                                                                    |
| 3       | Arunachal Pradesh | 2018-19 | 57                                                                                                     | 195                                                                                                    | 20                                                                                                     | 0                                                                                                      |
| 3       | Arunachal Pradesh | 2019-20 | 43                                                                                                     | 371                                                                                                    | 2                                                                                                      | 0                                                                                                      |
| 3       | Arunachal Pradesh | 2020-21 | 0                                                                                                      | 199                                                                                                    | 1                                                                                                      | 0                                                                                                      |
| 4.      | Assam             | 2018-19 | 1274                                                                                                   | 2129                                                                                                   | 482                                                                                                    | 30                                                                                                     |
| 4.      | Assam             | 2019-20 | 956                                                                                                    | 2505                                                                                                   | 1                                                                                                      | 2                                                                                                      |
| 4.      | Assam             | 2020-21 | 1042                                                                                                   | 3014                                                                                                   | 11                                                                                                     | 0                                                                                                      |
| 5.      | Bihar             | 2018-19 | 2424                                                                                                   | 5671                                                                                                   | 277                                                                                                    | 312                                                                                                    |
| 5.      | Bihar             | 2019-20 | 2208                                                                                                   | 4502                                                                                                   | 325                                                                                                    | 18                                                                                                     |
| 5.      | Bihar             | 2020-21 | 1388                                                                                                   | 3975                                                                                                   | 4                                                                                                      | 1                                                                                                      |
| 6.      | Chandigarh        | 2018-19 | 6                                                                                                      | 2                                                                                                      | 4                                                                                                      | 0                                                                                                      |
| 6.      | Chandigarh        | 2019-20 | 3                                                                                                      | 4                                                                                                      | 5                                                                                                      | 0                                                                                                      |
| 6.      | Chandigarh        | 2020-21 | 3                                                                                                      | 8                                                                                                      | 2                                                                                                      | 0                                                                                                      |
| 7.      | Chhattisgarh      | 2018-19 | 5453                                                                                                   | 630                                                                                                    | 494                                                                                                    | 373                                                                                                    |
| 7.      | Chhattisgarh      | 2019-20 | 2103                                                                                                   | 280                                                                                                    | 385                                                                                                    | 47                                                                                                     |
| 7.      | Chhattisgarh      | 2020-21 | 1240                                                                                                   | 560                                                                                                    | 33                                                                                                     | 25                                                                                                     |
| 8.      | D&NH and D&D      | 2018-19 | 13                                                                                                     | 16                                                                                                     | 55                                                                                                     | 0                                                                                                      |
| 8.      | D&NH and D&D      | 2019-20 | 56                                                                                                     | 6                                                                                                      | 12                                                                                                     | 0                                                                                                      |
| 8.      | D&NH and D&D      | 2020-21 | 20                                                                                                     | 13                                                                                                     | 8                                                                                                      | 0                                                                                                      |
| 9.      | Goa               | 2018-19 | 330                                                                                                    | 490                                                                                                    | 6                                                                                                      | 0                                                                                                      |
| 9.      | Goa               | 2019-20 | 86                                                                                                     | 517                                                                                                    | 4                                                                                                      | 39                                                                                                     |
| 9.      | Goa               | 2020-21 | 65                                                                                                     | 557                                                                                                    | 3                                                                                                      | 8                                                                                                      |
| 10.     | Gujarat           | 2018-19 | 11166                                                                                                  | 1511                                                                                                   | 2284                                                                                                   | 79                                                                                                     |
| 10.     | Gujarat           | 2019-20 | 3924                                                                                                   | 728                                                                                                    | 4057                                                                                                   | 64                                                                                                     |
| 10.     | Gujarat           | 2020-21 | 2095                                                                                                   | 1179                                                                                                   | 1602                                                                                                   | 40                                                                                                     |
| 11.     | Haryana           | 2018-19 | 2608                                                                                                   | 1273                                                                                                   | 969                                                                                                    | 595                                                                                                    |
| 11.     | Haryana           | 2019-20 | 454                                                                                                    | 293                                                                                                    | 610                                                                                                    | 56                                                                                                     |
| 11.     | Haryana           | 2020-21 | 807                                                                                                    | 1413                                                                                                   | 166                                                                                                    | 5                                                                                                      |
| 12.     | Himachal Pradesh  | 2018-19 | 2864                                                                                                   | 446                                                                                                    | 42                                                                                                     | 217                                                                                                    |
| 12.     | Himachal Pradesh  | 2019-20 | 1311                                                                                                   | 673                                                                                                    | 10                                                                                                     | 20                                                                                                     |
| 12.     | Himachal Pradesh  | 2020-21 | 354                                                                                                    | 946                                                                                                    | 6                                                                                                      | 6                                                                                                      |

|   13. | Jammu& Kashmir   | 2018-19   |   4332 |   637 |   21 |   35 |
|-------|------------------|-----------|--------|-------|------|------|
|    13 | Jammu& Kashmir   | 2019-20   |   1331 |   315 |   34 |   18 |
|    13 | Jammu& Kashmir   | 2020-21   |    403 |   548 |    1 |   12 |
|    14 | Jharkhand        | 2018-19   |   1361 |  1432 |   58 |    7 |
|    14 | Jharkhand        | 2019-20   |    933 |  1278 |   47 |    1 |
|    14 | Jharkhand        | 2020-21   |    986 |  1695 |    0 |    1 |
|    15 | Karnataka        | 2018-19   |   2802 |   321 |    0 |  567 |
|    15 | Karnataka        | 2019-20   |   1337 |   867 | 1149 |  298 |
|    15 | Karnataka        | 2020-21   |    391 |   924 |  126 |   94 |
|    16 | Kerala           | 2018-19   |    614 |   699 |    3 |  461 |
|    16 | Kerala           | 2019-20   |    433 |   642 |    4 |  236 |
|    16 | Kerala           | 2020-21   |    176 |   305 |    0 |   66 |
|    17 | Ladakh           | 2018-19   |    162 |    58 |    0 |   25 |
|    17 | Ladakh           | 2019-20   |    101 |    36 |    0 |   19 |
|    17 | Ladakh           | 2020-21   |     37 |    32 |    0 |    8 |
|    18 | Lakshadweep      | 2018-19   |      0 |     0 |    0 |    2 |
|    18 | Lakshadweep      | 2019-20   |      0 |     4 |    0 |    1 |
|    18 | Lakshadweep      | 2020-21   |      0 |     0 |    0 |    0 |
|    19 | Madhya Pradesh   | 2018-19   |  13422 |  3283 | 1835 |  299 |
|    19 | Madhya Pradesh   | 2019-20   |   5274 |  3288 | 1403 |  793 |
|    19 | Madhya Pradesh   | 2020-21   |   1278 |  5693 |  196 |    0 |
|    20 | Maharashtra      | 2018-19   |  15625 |  8846 | 1524 | 1796 |
|    20 | Maharashtra      | 2019-20   |   6511 |  9806 | 1750 | 1633 |
|    20 | Maharashtra      | 2020-21   |   2880 | 12564 |  320 |  703 |
|    21 | Manipur          | 2018-19   |    109 |   227 |    6 |    0 |
|    21 | Manipur          | 2019-20   |     57 |   603 |    0 |    5 |
|    21 | Manipur          | 2020-21   |     49 |   495 |    0 |    0 |
|    22 | Meghalaya        | 2018-19   |    208 |   288 |    9 |    5 |
|    22 | Meghalaya        | 2019-20   |    166 |   173 |   14 |    0 |
|    22 | Meghalaya        | 2020-21   |     66 |   242 |    0 |    0 |
|    23 | Mizoram          | 2018-19   |     53 |   118 |    1 |    0 |
|    23 | Mizoram          | 2019-20   |     32 |   363 |    0 |    0 |
|    23 | Mizoram          | 2020-21   |     15 |   203 |    0 |    0 |
|    24 | Nagaland         | 2018-19   |    103 |   151 |    3 |    6 |
|    24 | Nagaland         | 2019-20   |     69 |   344 |    0 |    0 |
|    24 | Nagaland         | 2020-21   |     30 |   193 |    0 |    0 |
|    25 | NCT of Delhi     | 2018-19   |     32 |     8 |    5 |    0 |
|    25 | NCT of Delhi     | 2019-20   |     11 |    18 |    8 |    0 |
|    25 | NCT of Delhi     | 2020-21   |      7 |     7 |    8 |    0 |
|    26 | Odisha           | 2018-19   |   1194 |   752 |  391 |   71 |
|    26 | Odisha           | 2019-20   |   3766 |  1221 |  288 |   27 |
|    26 | Odisha           | 2020-21   |   1021 |  1969 |   33 |   22 |
|    27 | Puducherry       | 2018-19   |     50 |     1 |    9 |    0 |
|    27 | Puducherry       | 2019-20   |     19 |     0 |    8 |    0 |
|    27 | Puducherry       | 2020-21   |     13 |     7 |    7 |    0 |
|    28 | Punjab           | 2018-19   |   1985 |  2135 | 1413 |   15 |
|    28 | Punjab           | 2019-20   |    270 |   677 |  767 |    0 |
|    28 | Punjab           | 2020-21   |     18 |  1309 |  759 |    0 |

|   29. | Rajasthan     | 2018-19   |   4648 |   1244 |   18 |   1178 |
|-------|---------------|-----------|--------|--------|------|--------|
|    29 | Rajasthan     | 2019-20   |   1995 |    979 |   14 |      2 |
|    29 | Rajasthan     | 2020-21   |    611 |   1282 |   15 |     38 |
|    30 | Sikkim        | 2018-19   |     53 |     86 |   16 |      1 |
|    30 | Sikkim        | 2019-20   |     40 |    115 |   54 |      0 |
|    30 | Sikkim        | 2020-21   |     20 |     35 |   11 |      0 |
|    31 | Tamil Nadu    | 2018-19   |   5114 |    398 | 1985 |      5 |
|    31 | Tamil Nadu    | 2019-20   |   2411 |    154 |  821 |     32 |
|    31 | Tamil Nadu    | 2020-21   |   1126 |    461 |  666 |    226 |
|    32 | Telangana     | 2018-19   |   7479 |   1046 |  129 |    377 |
|    32 | Telangana     | 2019-20   |   2790 |    587 |   86 |    154 |
|    32 | Telangana     | 2020-21   |    645 |    708 |   68 |     50 |
|    33 | Tripura       | 2018-19   |    109 |    312 |    4 |      0 |
|    33 | Tripura       | 2019-20   |     49 |    189 |    4 |      0 |
|    33 | Tripura       | 2020-21   |     16 |    302 |    0 |      0 |
|    34 | Uttar Pradesh | 2018-19   |   9039 |   6553 | 6805 |   1581 |
|    34 | Uttar Pradesh | 2019-20   |   1991 |   8532 | 5898 |    190 |
|    34 | Uttar Pradesh | 2020-21   |   1593 |   9307 | 1527 |     76 |
|    35 | Uttarakhand   | 2018-19   |    739 |    693 |  626 |    186 |
|    35 | Uttarakhand   | 2019-20   |    660 |    515 |  319 |    101 |
|    35 | Uttarakhand   | 2020-21   |    537 |    848 |  308 |     10 |
|    36 | West Bengal   | 2018-19   |   2790 |   4864 | 2621 |    836 |
|    36 | West Bengal   | 2019-20   |   2182 |   3070 | 3152 |     18 |
|    36 | West Bengal   | 2020-21   |    250 |   2817 |  503 |    245 |

## Legends:

RJIL :   Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited

BAL :   Bharti Airtel Limited

VIL  :   Vodafone Idea Limited

BSNL : Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited

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