Lok Sabha Question No. 2608 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-03-10
Subject: Internet Subscribers and Digital Divide
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Dushyant Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2608 TO BE ANSWERED ON 10 TH  MARCH, 2021

## INTERNET SUBSCRIBERS AND DIGITAL DIVIDE

## 2608. SHRI DUSHYANT SINGH:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the number of internet subscribers in rural areas per 100 inhabitants is below 30 as per Telecom Statistics  India  Report  2019  and  if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the  reaction  of  the  Government thereto;
- (b) the  economic  loss  assessed  by  the  Government  in  the  GDP  of  the  country  on  account  of  the aforesaid digital divide prevalent between rural and urban areas;
- (c) the number of internet subscribers that have increased in rural areas where new optic fibre cables under National Broadband Mission have been laid during each of the last three years, State/UT-wise;
- (d) the percentage increase in internet subscribers in these areas compared to the time when there were no optic fibre cables;
- (e) whether persons residing in areas which are newly provided with optic fibre cables have access to devices that can be connected to the internet and if so, the details thereof; and
- (f) whether the Government can achieve its National Broadband Mission by 2022 and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

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

(a) & (b) The internet subscribers in rural areas per 100 inhabitants is 25.36 as per Telecom Statistics India  Report  2019  and  in  urban  areas,  it  is  97.94.  The  total  number  of  Internet  subscribers  in  rural  and urban areas as of March, 2019 were 227.01 million and 409.72 million respectively. The number of internet subscribers  in  rural  areas  registered  a  growth  of  33.19%  during  March,  2019  to  September,  2020,  as compared to 15.72 % growth in urban areas during the same period, thus the digital divide is being bridged.

(c) to (e) The service  area-wise  number  of internet  subscribers  in  rural  areas  during  the  last  three years  and  current  year  is  given  at Annexure-I. The  National  Broadband  mission  was  launched  on  17 th December, 2019. The increase in number of internet subscribers in rural areas during December, 2019 to September, 2020  and the percentage increase is given at Annexure-II. During this period, 33.92 million internet subscribers in rural areas have been added. These new subscribers are able to access internet using various devices.

- (f) The Government is committed to time bound implementation of the National Broadband Mission and to provide each and every village of India with access to broadband by 2022 through utilization of appropriate technologies, including optical fiber, radio networks and satellite.

Annexure referred to in reply to part (c) to (e) of Lok Sabha Unstarred  Question No. 2608 to be answered on 10 th  February 2021 regarding Internet Subscribers and Digital Divide

Service  Area  wise  number  of  Internet  Subscribers  in  rural  areas  during  the  last  three  years  and current year as on 30 th  September, 2020.

(figures in million)

|   Sr.No. | Service area     |   As on 31st March 2018 |   As on 31st March 2019 |   As on 31st March 2020 |   As on 30th September 2020 |
|----------|------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|-----------------------------|
|        1 | Andhra Pradesh   |                   12.83 |                   19.94 |                   25.51 |                       26.69 |
|        2 | Assam            |                    5.04 |                    5.68 |                    8.31 |                        8.9  |
|        3 | Bihar            |                   13.51 |                   22.62 |                   30.53 |                       32.83 |
|        4 | Delhi            |                    0.72 |                    0.7  |                    0.75 |                        0.76 |
|        5 | Gujarat          |                    8.27 |                   11.44 |                   13.67 |                       14.67 |
|        6 | Haryana          |                    3.8  |                    5.54 |                    6.81 |                        7.08 |
|        7 | Himachal Pradesh |                    2.04 |                    3.21 |                    3.79 |                        4.09 |
|        8 | Jammu &Kashmir   |                    1.91 |                    2.57 |                    3.45 |                        3.45 |
|        9 | Karnataka        |                    6.69 |                   11.93 |                   17.01 |                       17.17 |
|       10 | Kerala           |                    7.49 |                   10.04 |                   10.75 |                       11.5  |
|       11 | Kolkata          |                    1    |                    1.53 |                    1.42 |                        1.44 |
|       12 | Madhya Pradesh   |                    6.94 |                   15.69 |                   19.75 |                       20.84 |
|       13 | Maharashtra      |                   12.79 |                   20.21 |                   25.16 |                       26.86 |
|       14 | Mumbai           |                    0.75 |                    1.21 |                    1.53 |                        1.95 |
|       15 | North East       |                    2.38 |                    2.78 |                    3.97 |                        4.31 |
|       16 | Orissa           |                    5.67 |                    9.64 |                   12.36 |                       13.1  |
|       17 | Punjab           |                    4.58 |                    7.13 |                    8.43 |                        8.66 |
|       18 | Rajasthan        |                    9.47 |                   15.57 |                   20.02 |                       20.49 |
|       19 | Tamil Nadu       |                    9.31 |                   11.37 |                   13.82 |                       14.63 |
|       20 | UP (East)        |                   14.46 |                   22.81 |                   28.91 |                       30.52 |
|       21 | UP (West)        |                    7.03 |                   11.9  |                   13.34 |                       14.9  |
|       22 | West Bengal      |                    9.14 |                   13.49 |                   16.65 |                       17.52 |
|       23 | Total            |                  145.83 |                  227.01 |                  285.97 |                      302.35 |

Source: TRAI

Annexure referred to in reply to part (c) to (e) of Lok Sabha Unstarred  Question no. 2608 to be answered on 10 th  February 2021 regarding Internet Subscribers and Digital Divide

Service Area-wise increase in number of internet subscribers in rural areas during December, 2019 to September 2020

(Subscribers in million)

|   Sr.N o. | Service area     |   Rural internet subscribers as on 31st December 2019 |   Rural internet subscribers as on 30th September 2020 |   Rural Internet subscribers added during Dec-19 to Sep-20 |   %increase from Dec 2019 to Sep 2020 |
|-----------|------------------|-------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|
|         1 | Andhra Pradesh   |                                                 23.93 |                                                  26.69 |                                                       2.76 |                                 11.53 |
|         2 | Assam            |                                                  7.71 |                                                   8.9  |                                                       1.19 |                                 15.43 |
|         3 | Bihar            |                                                 26.78 |                                                  32.83 |                                                       6.05 |                                 22.59 |
|         4 | Delhi            |                                                  0.75 |                                                   0.76 |                                                       0.01 |                                  1.33 |
|         5 | Gujarat          |                                                 13.04 |                                                  14.67 |                                                       1.63 |                                 12.5  |
|         6 | Haryana          |                                                  6.58 |                                                   7.08 |                                                       0.5  |                                  7.6  |
|         7 | Himachal Pradesh |                                                  3.74 |                                                   4.09 |                                                       0.35 |                                  9.36 |
|         8 | Jammu &Kashmir   |                                                  1.52 |                                                   3.45 |                                                       1.93 |                                126.97 |
|         9 | Karnataka        |                                                 15.69 |                                                  17.17 |                                                       1.48 |                                  9.43 |
|        10 | Kerala           |                                                 10.64 |                                                  11.5  |                                                       0.86 |                                  8.08 |
|        11 | Kolkata          |                                                  1.38 |                                                   1.44 |                                                       0.06 |                                  4.35 |
|        12 | Madhya Pradesh   |                                                 18.71 |                                                  20.84 |                                                       2.13 |                                 11.38 |
|        13 | Maharashtra      |                                                 24.09 |                                                  26.86 |                                                       2.77 |                                 11.5  |
|        14 | Mumbai           |                                                  1.43 |                                                   1.95 |                                                       0.52 |                                 36.36 |
|        15 | North East       |                                                  3.85 |                                                   4.31 |                                                       0.46 |                                 11.95 |
|        16 | Orissa           |                                                 11.74 |                                                  13.1  |                                                       1.36 |                                 11.58 |
|        17 | Punjab           |                                                  8.25 |                                                   8.66 |                                                       0.41 |                                  4.97 |
|        18 | Rajasthan        |                                                 19.11 |                                                  20.49 |                                                       1.38 |                                  7.22 |
|        19 | Tamil Nadu       |                                                 13.33 |                                                  14.63 |                                                       1.3  |                                  9.75 |
|        20 | UP (East)        |                                                 26.97 |                                                  30.52 |                                                       3.55 |                                 13.16 |
|        21 | UP (West)        |                                                 13.16 |                                                  14.9  |                                                       1.74 |                                 13.22 |
|        22 | West Bengal      |                                                 16.03 |                                                  17.52 |                                                       1.49 |                                  9.3  |
|        23 | Total            |                                                268.43 |                                                 302.35 |                                                      33.92 |                                 12.64 |

Source: TRAI

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