Lok Sabha Question No. 2506 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-12-21
Subject: BSNL in rural Areas
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Sudarshan Bhagat, Gajendra Singh Patel

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2506 TO BE ANSWERED ON 21 st  DECEMBER, 2022

## BSNL IN RURAL AREAS

## †2506. SHRI SUDARSHAN BHAGAT: SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH PATEL :

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the communication facilities of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has improved in rural areas of the country and if so, the details thereof, State-wise along with the efforts being made by the Government to promote BSNL in these rural areas;
- (b) whether  any  new  scheme  is  proposed  to  increase  the  connectivity  potential  of  Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) in urban areas;
- (c) the efforts being made by the Government for the revival of BSNL and MTNL;
- (d) whether any step have been taken by the Government to promote the services of BSNL in the tribal areas of Madhya Pradesh and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the time by which it is likely to be available in the tribal areas in future?

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

(a) & (b)    The communication facilities of BSNL are constantly improving in the rural areas. BSNL is providing FTTH (Fiber to the Home) high speed broadband connections in rural areas through Optical Fiber Cable. In addition, BSNL is also providing mobile coverage in rural areas. The state-wise details of current rural BSNL FTTH connections and number of villages covered with BSNL's cellular services are given in Annexure-I and Annexure-II respectively.

Further  to  strengthen  the  broadband  core  network  and  enhance  the  internet  speed,  BSNL  has planned replacement and expansion of High Capacity Broadband Network Gateway (BNG)  and Regional Point of Presences (RPOP). BSNL is also constantly entering into peering & caching with various content providers in BSNL Network. Further BSNL will provide all telecom services in Delhi and Mumbai through leasing of operational assets or other appropriate models.

- (c) The Government of India, on 23.10.2019, approved the revival plan for BSNL and MTNL. It interalia  approved  the  reduction  in  employee  costs  through  Voluntary  Retirement  Scheme  (VRS),  debt restructuring by raising of sovereign guarantee bonds, administrative allotment of spectrum for 4G services through capital infusion, monetization of core and non-core assets and in-principle approval of merger of BSNL and MTNL.  As a result of these, BSNL became operationally profitable in Financial Year 2020-21 and has remained so since then.

Further,  to  transform  BSNL  into  a  viable  Public  Sector  Undertaking,  the  Government  on 27.07.2022, approved a revival package for BSNL amounting to Rs 1.64 lakhs crores. The revival measures approved by the Cabinet focus on infusing fresh capital for upgrading BSNL services, allocating spectrum, de-stressing  its  balance  sheet  and  augmenting  its  fibre  network  by  merging  Bharat  Broadband  Nigam Limited (BBNL) with BSNL. With the implementation of these measures, BSNL is expected to turn-around and become a profit earning entity.

(d)  &  (e)      Optical  Fiber  Connectivity  under  BharatNet  scheme  of  Universal  Service  Obligation  Fund (USOF)  has  been  provided  to  over  18,000  Gram  Panchayats  of  Madhya  Pradesh  including  73  Gram Panchayats  in  tribal  areas.  BSNL  is  also  working  with  State  Government  to  provide  1,62,000  FTTH broadband connections in rural areas of Madhya Pradesh using the BharatNet.

The Union Cabinet on 27.07.2022 approved an USOF funded project for saturation of 4G mobile services in uncovered villages across the country at a total cost of Rs. 26,316 Cr.  The project will provide 4G mobile services in 24,680 uncovered villages in remote and difficult areas including about 4,000 villages in rural areas of Madhya Pradesh. The project is being executed by BSNL using Indigenous 4G technology stack and the target for completion of project is December, 2023.

## Annexure-I

Annexure to the part (a) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 2506 for answer on 21.12.2022.

| Sl. No.           | State/Union Territory                  | Rural BSNL FTTH connections   |
|-------------------|----------------------------------------|-------------------------------|
| 1                 | Andhra Pradesh                         | 81,459                        |
| 2                 | Arunachal Pradesh                      | 196                           |
| 3                 | Assam                                  | 10,380                        |
| 4                 | Bihar                                  | 13,422                        |
| 5                 | Chattisgarh                            | 6,580                         |
| 6                 | Goa                                    | 7,488                         |
| 7                 | Gujarat                                | 17,515                        |
| 8                 | Haryana                                | 44,090                        |
| 9                 | Himachal Pradesh                       | 25,902                        |
| 10                | Jharkhand                              | 7,719                         |
| 11                | Karnataka                              | 42,880                        |
| 12                | Kerala                                 | 2,90,660                      |
| 13                | Madhya Pradesh                         | 13,380                        |
| 14                | Maharashtra incl. Mumbai               | 45,982                        |
| 15                | Manipur                                | 1,099                         |
| 16                | Meghalaya                              | 880                           |
| 17                | Mizoram                                | 1                             |
| 18                | Nagaland                               | 121                           |
| 19                | Odisha                                 | 22,356                        |
| 20                | Punjab                                 | 73,135                        |
| 21                | Rajasthan                              | 32,641                        |
| 22                | Sikkim                                 | 128                           |
| 23                | Tamil Nadu incl. Chennai               | 1,04,262                      |
| 24                | Telangana                              | 29,949                        |
| 25                | Tripura                                | 3,552                         |
| 26                | Uttar Pradesh (UPE+UPW)                | 15,633                        |
| 27                | Uttarakhand                            | 6,522                         |
| 28                | West Bengal incl. Kolkata              | 14,570                        |
| Union Territories | Union Territories                      | Union Territories             |
| 1                 | Andaman &Nicobar Islands               | 12387                         |
| 2                 | Chandigarh                             | 2025                          |
| 3                 | Dadar &Nagar Haweli (incl. Daman &Diu) | 1112                          |
| 4                 | Delhi                                  | 0                             |
| 5                 | Jammu &Kashmir                         | 8712                          |
| 6                 | Ladakh                                 | 238                           |
| 7                 | Lakshdweep                             | 0                             |
| 8                 | Puduchery                              | 5829                          |
| Total             | Total                                  | 9,42,805                      |

## Annexure-II

Annexure to the part (a) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question no 2506 for answer on 21.12.2022.

\

| Sl. No.     | Circle              | No. of Villages covered with BSNL's cellular services as on 31.10.2022   |
|-------------|---------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1           | Haryana             | 4,447                                                                    |
| 2           | Himachal Pradesh    | 17,253                                                                   |
| 3           | Jammu &Kashmir      | 4,489                                                                    |
| 4           | Punjab              | 12,087                                                                   |
| 5           | Rajasthan           | 26,427                                                                   |
| 6           | Uttaranchal         | 13,193                                                                   |
| 7           | Uttar Pradesh(East) | 73,652                                                                   |
| 8           | Uttar Pradesh(West) | 14,766                                                                   |
| 9           | Andaman &Nicobar    | 372                                                                      |
| 10          | Assam               | 20,772                                                                   |
| 11          | Bihar               | 29,064                                                                   |
| 12          | Kolkata (TD)        | 727                                                                      |
| 13          | Jharkhand           | 19,673                                                                   |
| 14          | North East I        | 2,089                                                                    |
| 15          | North East II       | 4,435                                                                    |
| 16          | Odisha              | 26,018                                                                   |
| 17          | Sikkim              | 207                                                                      |
| 18          | West Bengal         | 27,535                                                                   |
| 19          | Chhattisgarh        | 13,968                                                                   |
| 20          | Gujarat             | 14,520                                                                   |
| 21          | Maharashtra         | 28,705                                                                   |
| 22          | Madhya Pradesh      | 24,394                                                                   |
| 23          | Andhra Pradesh      | 13,663                                                                   |
| 24          | Chennai (TD)        | 1,635                                                                    |
| 25          | Kerala              | 1,036                                                                    |
| 26          | Karnataka           | 18,285                                                                   |
| 27          | Telangana           | 9,322                                                                    |
| 28          | Tamilnadu           | 12,162                                                                   |
| Grand total | Grand total         | 4,34,896                                                                 |

********