Lok Sabha Question No. 5606 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-04-06
Subject: Optical Fiber Penetration
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Shriniwas Dadasaheb Patil

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5606 TO BE ANSWERED ON 6 TH  APRIL, 2022

## OPTICAL FIBER PENETRATION

## 5606.   SHRI SHRINIWAS PATIL:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is aware of the fact that broadband as well as optical fiber penetration is very poor in the country compared to other countries;
- (b) if so, the details thereof, State wise;
- (c) whether  the  Government  has  formulated  any  comprehensive  plan  to  increase  the broadband as well as optical fiber penetration in the country;
- (d) if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

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

(a) & (b) As per estimation by International Telecommunication Union(ITU), around 63 percent  of  the  world's  population  was  using  the  internet  in  2021.  As  per  the  latest  'The Indian Telecom Services Performance Indicators' report published by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on 10th January, 2022, the number of Internet subscribers per 100 population in the country is 60.96 at the end of September, 2021. The Licensed Service area wise details Internet Subscribers per 100 population in the country are at Annexure-A .

Further, as per data collected from various Licensed Service providers by field units of Department of Telecommunications, it is estimated that there is around 33 Lakh Km Optical Fibre Cable(OFC) laid in the country at the end of December, 2021.  The Licensed Service area wise details of OFC laid in the country at the end of December, 2021 is at Annexure-B .

As per data collected by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), there are about 17.62 million Fibre to the Home (FTTH) Broadband Subscribers in the country at the end of December, 2021 which are around 7 % of the total households in the country. The Licensed Service  area  wise  details  of  FTTH  Broadband  Subscribers  in  the  country  at  the  end  of December, 2021 is at Annexure-C .

(c) to (e) BharatNet project is implemented in a phased manner to provide broadband connectivity to all Gram Panchayats (GPs) in the country mainly though Optical Fibre Cable. On 30.06.2021, the scope of BharatNet was extended upto all inhabited villages beyond GPs in the country. As on 28.02.2022, a total number of 1,72,361 GPs are made Service Ready in the country.

Further, National Broadband Mission(NBM) was launched on 17th December 2019 with a  vision  to  provide  affordable  and  universal  access  of  broadband  for  all,  objectives  of  the NBM inter-alia include access to broadband to all villages and accelerate fiberization.

Annexure A referred to in Part (a) & (b) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred question no. 5606 answer on 06.04.2022.

Licensed Service Area wise number of Internet Subscribers per 100 population at the end of September, 2021

| S.N.   | Licensed Service Area   | Internet Subscribers per 100 population   |
|--------|-------------------------|-------------------------------------------|
| 1.     | Andhra Pradesh          | 70.78                                     |
| 2.     | Assam                   | 45.72                                     |
| 3.     | Bihar                   | 35.55                                     |
| 4.     | Delhi                   | 216.76                                    |
| 5.     | Gujarat                 | 71.85                                     |
| 6.     | Haryana                 | 63.42                                     |
| 7.     | Himachal Pradesh        | 88.80                                     |
| 8.     | Jammu &Kashmir          | 60.95                                     |
| 9.     | Karnataka               | 74.72                                     |
| 10.    | Kerala                  | 84.67                                     |
| 11.    | Madhya Pradesh          | 15.68                                     |
| 12.    | Maharashtra             | 101.98                                    |
| 13.    | Mumbai                  |                                           |
| 14.    | North East              | 196.44                                    |
| 15.    | Odisha                  | 21.10                                     |
| 16.    | Punjab                  | 69.03                                     |
| 17.    | Rajasthan               | 34.90                                     |
| 18.    | Tamil Nadu              | 58.13                                     |
| 19.    | Uttar Pradesh (East)    | 49.89                                     |
| 20.    | Uttar Pradesh (West)    |                                           |
| 21.    | Kolkata                 | 82.29                                     |
| 22.    | West Bengal             |                                           |
|        | Total                   | 60.96                                     |

## Annexure-B

## Annexure B referred to in Part (a) & (b) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred question no. 5606 answer on 06.04.2022.

## Service  Area  wise  Optical  Fibre  Cable  (OFC)  laid  in  the  country  at  the  end  of December, 2021

| SN   | Licensed Service Area   | Total OFC laid (in Km)   |
|------|-------------------------|--------------------------|
| 1    | Andhra Pradesh          | 3,20,882                 |
| 2    | Assam                   | 62,412                   |
| 3    | Bihar                   | 1,40,560                 |
| 4    | Delhi                   | 64,669                   |
| 5    | Gujarat                 | 3,35,135                 |
| 6    | Haryana                 | 75,449                   |
| 7    | Himachal Pradesh        | 28,769                   |
| 8    | Jammu &Kashmir          | 31,303                   |
| 9    | Karnataka               | 1,91,759                 |
| 10   | Kerala                  | 1,55,293                 |
| 11   | Kolkata                 | 45,631                   |
| 12   | Madhya Pradesh          | 3,12,342                 |
| 13   | Maharashtra             | 2,71,247                 |
| 14   | Mumbai                  | 40,231                   |
| 15   | North East              | 42,038                   |
| 16   | Odisha                  | 82,157                   |
| 17   | Punjab                  | 1,62,647                 |
| 18   | Rajasthan               | 1,91,502                 |
| 19   | Tamil Nadu              | 1,96,610                 |
| 20   | UP (East)               | 2,35,759                 |
| 21   | UP (West)               | 1,42,835                 |
| 22   | West Bengal             | 1,11,460                 |
|      | *Others( RailTel)       | 60,285                   |
|      |                         | 33,00,975                |

Annexure C Annexure C referred to in Part (a) & (b) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred question no. 5606 answer on 06.04.2022. Licensed  Service  Area  wise  number  of  Fibre  to  the  Home  (FTTH)  Broadband

## Subscribers in the country at the end of December, 2021

| S.N   | Licensed Service Area    | FTTH Broadband subscribers   |
|-------|--------------------------|------------------------------|
| 1     | Andhra Pradesh           | 27,91,981                    |
| 2     | Assam                    | 2,09,725                     |
| 3     | Bihar                    | 3,71,758                     |
| 4     | Delhi                    | 18,07,925                    |
| 5     | Gujarat                  | 7,97,132                     |
| 6     | Haryana                  | 2,91,002                     |
| 7     | Himachal Pradesh         | 60,573                       |
| 8     | Jammu &Kashmir           | 2,28,112                     |
| 9     | Karnataka                | 16,03,282                    |
| 10    | Kerala                   | 15,95,340                    |
| 11    | Kolkata                  | 4,90,127                     |
| 12    | Madhya Pradesh           | 6,47,148                     |
| 13    | Maharashtra              | 10,41,585                    |
| 14    | Mumbai                   | 8,18,047                     |
| 15    | North East               | 1,19,437                     |
| 16    | Odisha                   | 1,80,885                     |
| 17    | Punjab                   | 9,12,371                     |
| 18    | Rajasthan                | 5,23,062                     |
| 19    | Tamil Nadu               | 17,77,537                    |
| 20    | Uttar Pradesh (East)     | 5,90,969                     |
| 21    | Uttar Pradesh (West)     | 5,33,693                     |
| 22    | West Bengal              | 2,26,822                     |
|       | Grand Total              | 1,76,18,513                  |
|       | Grand Total (in million) | 17.62                        |

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