Lok Sabha Question No. 3673 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-22
Subject: Broadband Services
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: M. Selvaraj

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3673 TO BE ANSWERED ON 22 ND  MARCH, 2023

## BROADBAND SERVICES

## 3673. SHRI M. SELVARAJ:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government is satisfied with the quality of broadband services being provided in the country and if so, the details thereof;

(b) the details of the remedial measures taken by the Government in this regard, State/UT-wise;

(c) whether the Government has fixed any time limit and/or prepared any draft for connecting villages with 4G, 5G and Wi-Fi broadband service under Digital India and if so, the details thereof; and

(d) the details of the measures being taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

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

(a) & (b) TRAI has been monitoring the performance of Broadband Service Providers against benchmarks  for  various  Quality  of  Service  parameters  prescribed  vide  'Quality  of  Service  of Broadband Service Regulations, 2006 (11 of 2006) dated 6.10.2006' and 'The Standards of Quality of Service for Wireless Data Services Regulations, 2012 (26 of 2012) dated 4th December 2012' as amended from time to time on Licensed Service Area (LSA) basis.

Wherever the benchmark is not met, the explanation of the Service Providers is called for and after  considering  the  explanation  submitted  by  service  providers  in  this  regard,  TRAI  imposes financial disincentives for non-compliance of the benchmark.

Approximately 11 Lakh Route Kms Optical Fiber Cable (OFC) of public sector units and around 23.5 lakh BTSs (base transceiver station) have been mapped on PM GatiShakti National Master Plan (NMP) platform. Also, OFC of state governments of Telangana, Kerala, Rajasthan, Andhra  Pradesh  &  Jharkhand  has  been  mapped.  These  OFC  can  be  used  by  telecom  service providers for connecting the un-fiberized BTSs with the nearest available OFC.

(c) & (d) BharatNet project  is  being  implemented  in  a  phased  manner  to  create  network  to connect Gram Panchayats (GPs)/ Villages with broadband in the country. This infrastructure is leased to  Telecom Service Providers (TSPs)/ Internet Service Providers (ISPs) for provision  of internet

connectivity in GPs/villages. The scope of BharatNet project on 30.06.2021 was extended upto all inhabited villages beyond GPs. Target for completion of BharatNet Project is 2025.

PM WANI (Prime Minister Wi-Fi Access Network Interface) framework aims to accelerate proliferation of internet services by setting up public Wi-Fi Access points in the country with the objective of building Digital India and consequential benefit thereon.

Universal  Service  Obligation  Fund  (USOF),  DoT  is  implementing  various  project  for connecting villages with 4G services across country such as (1) 502 Aspirational District Project, (2) 354 Uncovered Village Project, (3) Left Wing Extremism (LWE) Phase-II Project, (4) Left Wing Extremism Phase-I (LWE-I) Project, (5) 7287 Aspirational District Project, (6) Arunachal Pradesh and 2 Districts of Assam Project, (7) Meghalaya Project and (8) 4G Saturation Project.

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