Lok Sabha Question No. 2725 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-08-07
Subject: Gatishakti Sanchar Initiative
Ministry: COMMUNICATION
Asked by: Shri Kalyan Banerjee

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2725 TO BE ANSWERED ON 7 TH  AUGUST, 2024

## GATISHAKTI SANCHAR INITIATIVE

## 2725   SHRI KALYAN BANERJEE:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATION be pleased to state:

(a) the details of the  progress made in deploying advanced technologies and infrastructure to achieve the goals set forth in the Gatishakti Sanchar initiative;

(b) the details of the outcomes of 5G services including faster rollout of services ,fiberisation of towers  and  broadband  connectivity  to  citizens/institutions  with  a  particular  focus  on  identified districts for West Bengal and the current status of their progress; and

(c) the details of the additional measures being taken to enhance digital connectivity in West Bengal?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (DR. PEMMASANI CHANDRA SEKHAR)

(a) The  GatiShakti  Sanchar  Portal  (Centralized  Portal  for  Right  of  Way  Permissions)  was launched on 14 th  May 2022, to bring Ease of Doing Business for the applicants for quick RoW (Right of Way) permissions for laying OFC (optical fiber cable) and erecting telecom towers. The portal has onboarded/integrated all 36 States/UTs and four central ministries.

(b) In  the  state  of  West  Bengal,  for  broadband  connectivity  to  citizens/institutions,  there  are 28,992 5G BTS (base transceiver station), 1,21,393 4G BTS and 7,232 3G BTS. Further in West Bengal, 25,442 villages are covered with 3G and 40,920 villages with 4G.

A total of 76,161 BTSs are fiberized in West Bengal out of which 20,468 BTSs are 5G.

(c) The Government of India launched the National Broadband Mission on the 17 th  of December 2019 with a vision to enable fast-track growth of digital communications infrastructure to provide affordable  and  universal  broadband  access  for  all.  The  Mission  aims  to  facilitate  universal  and equitable  access  to  broadband  services  for  growth  and  development  throughout  the  country (especially in rural and remote areas).

## The following actions were undertaken to enhance digital connectivity across the country and in the State of West Bengal.

DoT has also come out with ITRoW (Indian Telegraph Right of Way) rules 2016, which were amended  in  Aug  2022  for  the  5G  roll-out.  These  rules  provide  for  the  standardization  of  rates  for overground and underground telecom infrastructure, rates for street furniture for utilization for 5G small cells, and charges applicable for compensation and restoration. DoT has followed up with all states/UTs for alignment of their RoW policies with that of Central Right of Way rules and for clearance of pending Right  of  Way  applications.  Further,  the  Telecommunication  Act  passed  in  2023  will  provide  legal backing to the RoW rules to be issued as per this act.

BharatNet : Also, under BharatNet, out of 2,69,215 Gram Panchayats under BharatNet scope, 2,17,696 are  service-ready  as  of  29 th July  2024.  In  West  Bengal  state,  out  of  3,613  Gram  Panchayats  under BharatNet scope, 2,958 are service-ready as of 29 th  July 2024.

The  above  steps  of  the  National  Broadband  Mission,  DoT  will  enhance  digital  connectivity across the country and in the State of West Bengal.

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