Lok Sabha Question No. 4497 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-20
Subject: Wi-Fi Facility benefit  to Farmers
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Shri Sanatan Pandey

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4497 ANSWERED ON 20 TH  AUGUST, 2025

## WI-FI FACILITY BENEFIT TO FARMERS

## †4497.  SHRI SANATAN PANDEY:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has provided internet and Wi-Fi facilities in all the villages of the country for the benefit of farmers so that they can increase their knowledge about agriculture sector and keep getting information about new developments in agriculture sector;

- (b) if so, the measures/action being taken by the Government in this regard; and

(c) if not, the time by which the target of providing internet and Wi-Fi facilities in all the villages across the country is likely to be achieved?

## ANSWER

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

(a) As per RGI (Registrar General of India) data, out of the total 6,44,131 villages in the country, 6,26,055  villages  are  having  internet  facility  (3G/4G)  through  mobile  coverage  network  as  on 30.06.2025.

(b) & (c) BharatNet project is being implemented in a phased manner to provide broadband connectivity to all the Gram Panchayats (GPs) and villages in the country. A total of 13,01,193 no. of  FTTH  connections  have  been  commissioned  in  the  country  through  BharatNet.  The  Wi-Fi technology enabled FTTH connections are being used for accessing all type of online services such as  e-education,  e-health,  e-governance,  e-commerce,  etc.    including  the  usage  by  farmers  in increasing  their  knowledge  about  agriculture  and  keeping  themselves  updated  about  new development in agriculture.

Various projects such as 4G saturation project, Border Out Posts (BoP)-Border Intelligence Posts (BiP) project, BharatNet project etc under Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN) are being taken up to improve the mobile coverage and internet connectivity in villages. Under 4G saturation project till Jun-2025, 21,748 mobile towers have been commissioned in the country under various Government funded mobile projects.

Further Government of India had launched a redesigned and expanded Scheme for the year 2022-23 named 'Scheme for Special Assistance to states for Capital Investment 2022-23'. A total amount of Rs 3000 crores was earmarked for Part-V (Optical Fiber Cable) of the Scheme for Special Assistance  to  states  for  Capital  Investment  2022-23.  Funds  can  be  used  to  extend  Bharatnet  to Villages  from  the  GPs  covered  as  at  present  for  Last  Mile  Connectivity  (LMC)  on  the  OFC  to Government  Institutions  (like  School,  Health  Centre,  Anganwadi,  Police  Station,  Krishi  Vikash Kendra, Post Office, ration Shop etc.), Private Institutions and Households from Bharat Net network.

The  Union  Cabinet  has  also  approved  the  proposal  of  Department  of  Telecom  (DoT)  to proliferate Broadband through Public Wi-Fi networks under the framework of Prime Minister's WiFi  Access  Network  Interface  (PMWANI).  Currently,  3,53,105  PMWANI  Wi-Fi  Hotspots  are installed across the country.

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