Lok Sabha Question No. 655 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-07-20
Subject: BSNL Network in Aspirational Districts
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Ramesh Chandra Majhi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 655 TO BE ANSWERED ON 20 TH  JULY, 2022

## BSNL NETWORK IN ASPIRATIONAL DISTRICTS

## 655. SHRI. RAMESH CHANDRA MAJHI:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) network in Aspirational Districts in Odisha is very poor;
- (b) if so, the details thereof along with the steps taken by the Government in this regard;
- (c) the name of the places in the State of Odisha where new mobile towers are proposed to be set up by the Government; and
- (d) the details of the plans to increase the internet speed in the said region?

## ANSWER

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

(a) & (b) Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) monitors the performance of the Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) including Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) against the benchmarks for various Quality of Service (QoS) parameters laid down by TRAI by way of QoS regulations issued from time to time, through Quarterly Performance Monitoring Reports (PMRs) received from Telecom Service Providers. As per PMR for quarter ending March, 2022, BSNL is meeting, in  general,  all  QoS  parameters  for  its  cellular  and  basic  services  in  Odisha  Licensed Service Area that includes Aspirational districts in the state.

- (c) In Odisha state, there are 2379 mobile towers planned to cover 3933 Villages across ten Aspirational Districts of Odisha under Aspirational District scheme. Additionally, the 483 mobile towers envisaged under LWE-II scheme of Universal Service Obligation Fund(USOF) also include Aspirational districts in the state. District wise details are as follows:
- (d) BharatNet project is being implemented in a phased manner through various implementing agencies to provide broadband connectivity to all Gram Panchayats(GPs) in the country including Odisha. The scope of BharatNet has been recently extended to cover all inhabited villages beyond GPs in the country, with the timeline as year 2025.

| District wise details of planned 4G towers under Aspirational District Scheme   | District wise details of planned 4G towers under Aspirational District Scheme   | District wise details of planned 4G towers under Aspirational District Scheme   | District wise details of planned 4G towers under Aspirational District Scheme   | District wise details of planned 4G towers under Aspirational District Scheme   |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| S.No.                                                                           | State                                                                           | District                                                                        | No. of villages to be covered in scheme                                         | No. of Mobile towers Planned                                                    |
| 1                                                                               | ODISHA                                                                          | Balangir                                                                        | 11                                                                              | 11                                                                              |
| 2                                                                               | ODISHA                                                                          | Dhenkanal                                                                       | 11                                                                              | 11                                                                              |
| 3                                                                               | ODISHA                                                                          | Gajapati                                                                        | 467                                                                             | 264                                                                             |
| 4                                                                               | ODISHA                                                                          | Kalahandi                                                                       | 516                                                                             | 318                                                                             |
| 5                                                                               | ODISHA                                                                          | Kandhamal                                                                       | 1094                                                                            | 643                                                                             |
| 6                                                                               | ODISHA                                                                          | Koraput                                                                         | 520                                                                             | 342                                                                             |
| 7                                                                               | ODISHA                                                                          | Malkangiri                                                                      | 306                                                                             | 196                                                                             |
| 8                                                                               | ODISHA                                                                          | Nabarangapur                                                                    | 17                                                                              | 14                                                                              |
| 9                                                                               | ODISHA                                                                          | Nuapada                                                                         | 29                                                                              | 26                                                                              |
| 10                                                                              | ODISHA                                                                          | Rayagada                                                                        | 962                                                                             | 554                                                                             |
|                                                                                 |                                                                                 | Total                                                                           | 3933                                                                            | 2379                                                                            |

| District wise details of planned 4G towers under LWE-II scheme   | District wise details of planned 4G towers under LWE-II scheme   | District wise details of planned 4G towers under LWE-II scheme   | District wise details of planned 4G towers under LWE-II scheme   |
|------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------|
| S.No.                                                            | State                                                            | District                                                         | No. of villages to be covered in scheme                          |
| 1                                                                | ODISHA                                                           | Kalahandi                                                        | 66                                                               |
| 2                                                                | ODISHA                                                           | Kandhamal                                                        | 96                                                               |
| 3                                                                | ODISHA                                                           | Koraput                                                          | 85                                                               |
| 4                                                                | ODISHA                                                           | Malkangiri                                                       | 128                                                              |
| 5                                                                | ODISHA                                                           | Nawarangapur                                                     | 22                                                               |
| 6                                                                | ODISHA                                                           | Nuapada                                                          | 49                                                               |
| 7                                                                | ODISHA                                                           | Rayagada                                                         | 33                                                               |
| 8                                                                | Odisha                                                           | Boudh                                                            | 2                                                                |
| 9                                                                | ODISHA                                                           | Baragarh                                                         | 2                                                                |
|                                                                  |                                                                  | Total                                                            | 483                                                              |

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