Lok Sabha Question No. 38 (STARRED), answered on 2024-07-24
Subject: Mobile Network Connectivity in Border Areas
Ministry: COMMUNICATION
Asked by: Shri Yogender Chandolia

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 38 TO BE ANSWERED ON 24 TH  JULY, 2024

## MOBILE NETWORK CONNECTIVITY IN BORDER AREAS

## *38. SHRI YOGENDER CHANDOLIA:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATION be pleased to state:

- (a) the details and the number of border villages that do not have mobile network connectivity;
- (b) the measures taken/being taken by the Government to ensure mobile network connectivity in strategic border areas; and
- (c) the  tentative  time  by  which  all  border  villages  will  be  provided  with  mobile  network connectivity?

## ANSWER MINISTER FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND DEVELOPMENT OF NORTH EASTERN REGION (SHRI JYOTIRADITYA M. SCINDIA)

- (a) to (c) A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT TO BE LAID ON THE TABLE OF LOK SABHA IN RESPECT OF PARTS (a) TO  (c)  OF  THE  LOK  SABHA  STARRED  QUESTION  NO.  38  FOR  24 TH   JULY,  2024 REGARDING 'MOBILE NETWORK CONNECTIVITY IN BORDER AREAS.'

(a) to (c) As  per  data  received  from  Telecom  Service  Providers  (TSPs)  and  field  units  of Department of Telecommunications as of May '2024, out of 17,611 villages/habitations in the border areas  of  the  country,  around  16,818  villages  are  having  mobile  coverage  and  out  of  these,  16,515 villages  are  covered  with  4G  mobile  connectivity.  Details  of  State/UT  wise  mobile  coverage  in villages/habitations of border areas is at Annexure-I .

Mobile coverage for inhabited uncovered villages is provided by the Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) in a phased manner based on their techno-commercial viability. Government through funding from  Universal  Service  Obligation  Fund  (USOF)  is  implementing  various  schemes  for  providing mobile network coverage to uncovered villages of the country.

Further,  the  Government  has  taken  other  initiatives  to  enhance  mobile  connectivity  in  the country including border areas. These include: -

-  Licensing conditions were amended in August 2022 to facilitate installation of mobile towers in border areas.
-  Issuance of Indian Telegraph Right of Way Rules 2016 and amendment rules from time to time for faster and easier rollout of telecom infrastructure.
-  The Right of Way (RoW) permissions for the installation of mobile towers have been facilitated by launch of Gati Shakti Sanchar Portal for faster Right of Way (RoW) approvals.

Annexure-I Annexure referred to in  reply of part (a) to (c)  of Lok  Sabha Starred Question No.  38 to be answered  on  24 th   July,  2024  raised  by  Hon'ble  Member  of  Parliament  regarding  'Mobile Network Connectivity in Border Areas'

State/UT wise mobile coverage details of villages/habitations in border areas:

| S. No.   | State/UT          | Total Villages/ Habitations   | Villages/ Habitations having mobile coverage   | Villages/ Habitations having 4G mobile coverage   |
|----------|-------------------|-------------------------------|------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------|
| 1        | Arunachal Pradesh | 1502                          | 1103                                           | 965                                               |
| 2        | Assam             | 1237                          | 1237                                           | 1237                                              |
| 3        | Bihar             | 1128                          | 1128                                           | 1128                                              |
| 4        | Gujarat           | 131                           | 125                                            | 123                                               |
| 5        | Himachal Pradesh  | 238                           | 219                                            | 197                                               |
| 6        | J&K               | 1827                          | 1806                                           | 1799                                              |
| 7        | Ladakh            | 117                           | 111                                            | 94                                                |
| 8        | Manipur           | 263                           | 215                                            | 180                                               |
| 9        | Meghalaya         | 1272                          | 1247                                           | 1220                                              |
| 10       | Mizoram           | 378                           | 362                                            | 360                                               |
| 11       | Nagaland          | 135                           | 103                                            | 103                                               |
| 12       | Punjab            | 1529                          | 1529                                           | 1529                                              |
| 13       | Rajasthan         | 1322                          | 1234                                           | 1231                                              |
| 14       | Sikkim            | 68                            | 66                                             | 66                                                |
| 15       | Tripura           | 345                           | 304                                            | 303                                               |
| 16       | UP                | 1196                          | 1187                                           | 1171                                              |
| 17       | Uttarakhand       | 705                           | 626                                            | 595                                               |
| 18       | West Bengal       | 4218                          | 4216                                           | 4214                                              |
| Total    | Total             | 17,611                        | 16,818                                         | 16,515                                            |

********