Lok Sabha Question No. 52 (STARRED), answered on 2022-07-20
Subject: Mobile Towers
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Ganesh Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 52 TO BE ANSWERED ON 20 TH  JULY, 2022

## MOBILE TOWERS

## †*52. SHRI GANESH SINGH:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

(a) whether mobile towers are still not available in various remote villages across the country;

(b) if so, the time by which the vision of communication revolution is likely to be achieved in remote villages;

(c) whether the demand for installation of BSNL mobile towers is being raised continuously for a long time in various villages of Satna district of Madhya Pradesh and if so, the status thereof;

(d) whether the Government proposes to launch 4G services in Satna district; and

(e) if  so,  the  details thereof including the time by which it is likely to be launched and the action taken in this regard?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (e) 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 (e) OF THE LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 52 FOR 20 TH  JULY, 2022 REGARDING 'MOBILE TOWERS'.

(a) & (b) Mobile  connectivity  is  extended  by  the  Government  and  the  Telecom  Service Providers (TSPs) in a phased manner in the uncovered villages of the country. Presently, there are 23,54,667 Base Transceiver Stations (2G/3G/4G) of Telecom Service Providers (TSPs)  in the country. As per the data provided by TSPs and field units of the Department of Telecommunications,  out  of  5,97,618  inhabited  villages  (as  per  census  2011)  in  the  country, 5,72,551 villages are covered with mobile coverage and 25,067 villages are identified as mobile uncovered villages as on 31.12.2020 .

For providing mobile services in uncovered villages of the country, the Government, with funding from  Universal  Service  Obligation  Fund  (USOF),  has  approved  Comprehensive  Telecom Development Plan for North Eastern Region (NER), Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected area schemes, Aspirational Districts Schemes, Comprehensive Telecom development plan for Islands, etc.

BharatNet project is implemented in a phased manner to provide broadband connectivity to all Gram Panchayats (GPs) in the country. The infrastructure created under BharatNet project can be utilized  by  Service  providers,  for  provisioning  of  broadband/internet  services.  The  scope  of BharatNet has been recently extended up to all inhabited villages beyond GPs in the country with the timeline as 2025.

(c) In Satna District of Madhya Pradesh, out of 1799 Inhabited villages (as per census 2011), 1748 villages are covered with mobile connectivity and out of these villages, 1722 villages have 4G connectivity. Further, BSNL's mobile services cover 835 villages of Satna District.

(d) & (e) 4G services are launched by Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) based on technocommercial  feasibility.  Accordingly,  1722  out  of  1799  villages  in  Satna  are  covered  by  4G services.

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