Lok Sabha Question No. 615 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-23
Subject: Wi-Fi Hotspots/FTTH Service in Rural Areas
Ministry: COMMUNICATION
Asked by: Dr. Bhola Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 615 ANSWERED ON 23 RD  JULY, 2025

## WI-FI HOTSPOTS/FTTH SERVICE IN RURAL AREAS

## 615. DR. BHOLA SINGH:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATION be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of number of Gram Panchayats connected under the BharatNet project since 2014, State-wise;
- (b) whether the Government has conducted any third-party evaluation to assess internet usage and impact on rural education, health and e-governance, if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the  details  of  number  of  rural  areas  where  Wi-Fi  hotspots or  FTTH  (Fiber to the Home) services have been enabled under the project;
- (d) the steps taken/being taken to ensure affordability and last-mile connectivity for economically weaker sections; and
- (e) whether there are any plans to expand BharatNet Phase-III in backward districts with poor digital penetration and, if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) BharatNet  project  is  being  implemented  in  a  phased  manner  to  provide  broadband connectivity  to  all  Gram  Panchayats  (GPs)  in the  country,  so  far  2,14,325  GPs  have  been  made service ready. State-wise details of GPs made service ready in the country is given in Annexure-I
- (b) Yes, BSNL  conducted  a  third-party audit during March-April  2024  to  assess the implementation of a pilot  project  for  implementation  of  5  lakh  FTTH  connections  in  rural  areas through the BharatNet network. The audit findings indicated satisfactory coverage of FTTH services across various States/UTs through OLT installed by BNU partners.
- (c) A total  of  1,04,574  Wi-Fi  hotspots  have  been  installed  under  the  BharatNet  Project,  and 13,01,193 Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) connections have been provided as on 30.06.2025.
- (d) Amended BharatNet Program is being implemented under which subsidy is being provided to roll out 1.5 Cr. FTTH connections to ensure affordability and last mile connectivity.
- (e) Providing connectivity to remaining GPs and further strengthening of the network is under the scope of Amended BharatNet Program (ABP). ABP also includes connectivity to non-GP villages on demand basis including remote and tribal areas of the state.

Annexure referred to Part (a) to (d) (i) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 615 for answer on 23.07.2025

## State-wise details of Gram Panchayat made service ready in the Country

| S.No   | State               | Total Service Ready   |
|--------|---------------------|-----------------------|
| 1      | Andaman &Nicobar    | 72                    |
| 2      | Andhra Pradesh      | 12,955                |
| 3      | Arunachal Pradesh   | 1,124                 |
| 4      | Assam               | 1,507                 |
| 5      | Bihar               | 8,340                 |
| 6      | Chandigarh          | 12                    |
| 7      | Chhattisgarh        | 9,695                 |
| 8      | Dadra &Nagar Haveli | 20                    |
| 9      | Daman& Diu          | 18                    |
| 10     | Goa                 | -                     |
| 11     | Gujarat             | 14,320                |
| 12     | Haryana             | 6,082                 |
| 13     | Himachal Pradesh    | 410                   |
| 14     | Jammu &Kashmir      | 1,101                 |
| 15     | Jharkhand           | 4,390                 |
| 16     | Karnataka           | 6,084                 |
| 17     | Kerala              | 978                   |
| 18     | Ladakh              | 193                   |
| 19     | Lakshadweep         | 9                     |
| 20     | Madhya Pradesh      | 17,850                |
| 21     | Maharashtra         | 24,575                |
| 22     | Manipur             | 1,475                 |
| 23     | Meghalaya           | 698                   |
| 24     | Mizoram             | 540                   |
| 25     | Nagaland            | 236                   |
| 26     | Odisha              | 6,785                 |
| 27     | Puducherry          | 98                    |
| 28     | Punjab              | 12,668                |
| 29     | Rajasthan           | 8,776                 |
| 30     | Sikkim              | 35                    |
| 31     | Tamil Nadu          | 10,298                |
| 32     | Telangana           | 10,825                |
| 33     | Tripura             | 740                   |
| 34     | Uttar Pradesh (E)   | 34,274                |
| 35     | Uttar Pradesh (W)   | 12,472                |
| 36     | Uttarakhand         | 1,993                 |
| 37     | West Bengal         | 2,677                 |
|        | Total               | 2,14,325              |

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