Lok Sabha Question No. 4352 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-26
Subject: 5G GSM Services
Ministry: COMMUNICATION
Asked by: Shri Arvind Ganpat Sawant, Shri Sanjay Uttamrao Deshmukh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4352 TO BE ANSWERED ON 26 TH  MARCH, 2025

## 5G GSM SERVICES

## †4352.  SHRI SANJAY UTTAMRAO DESHMUKH: SHRI ARVIND GANPAT SAWANT:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATION be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has taken a decision to provide 5G GSM services to the BSNL customers;

(b) if so, the time by which services shall be introduced including the time-frame fixed for the same;

- (c) whether requisite instruments have been procured for the purpose, if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether access to BSNL FTTH services is severely limited;
- (e) if so, the reasons therefor;
- (f) the measures being undertaken to extend the said services;
- (g) the details of the parcel of land offered by various States of the country for 4G saturation project of BSNL, State-wise; and
- (h) the details of the number of villages across various States of the country where towers have been allocated/new towers are proposed and the existing towers have been upgraded, State-wise?

## ANSWER

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

( a ) to ( c ) In  line  with  Atmanirbhar  Bharat  initiative,  BSNL  has  placed  purchase  order  for indigenously developed one lakh 4G sites for pan India deployment . Supply of 4G equipment has started  from  September  2023  and  as  on  08.03.2025,  total  83,993  numbers  4G  sites  have  been installed, out of which 74,521 numbers are ON -Air . The equipment is 5G upgradable .

( d ) to ( f ) BSNL has provided FTTH services in the country covering more than 3,000 towns and more than 46,000 Gram Panchayats . BSNL has more than 41 lakhs FTTH customers across the country . BSNL is upgrading its fiber penetration in all States through local entrepreneur tie up for last mile customer services . Further, BSNL is proactively reaching to existing left over copper based fixed line customers for up gradation to FTTH . In addition, BSNL is also adding value to the FTTH product offerings to improve the retention of existing customer base .

( g ) & ( h ) The details of the parcel of land allotted to BSNL for 4G Saturation project is attached as Annexure-I. The State -wise details of 4G Saturation project are attached as Annexure-II.

## Annexure-I of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 4352 for 26.03.2025

| Parcel of land allotted to BSNL for 4G Saturation Project (status as on 28.02.2025)   | Parcel of land allotted to BSNL for 4G Saturation Project (status as on 28.02.2025)   |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Name of State/UT                                                                      | No. of Govt. Land Allotted to BSNL                                                    |
| ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS                                                           | 91                                                                                    |
| ANDHRA PRADESH                                                                        | 1,347                                                                                 |
| ARUNACHAL PRADESH                                                                     | 126                                                                                   |
| ASSAM                                                                                 | 333                                                                                   |
| CHHATTISGARH                                                                          | 594                                                                                   |
| DADRA AND NAGAR HAVELI                                                                | 15                                                                                    |
| GOA                                                                                   | 28                                                                                    |
| GUJARAT                                                                               | 574                                                                                   |
| HARYANA                                                                               | 5                                                                                     |
| HIMACHAL PRADESH                                                                      | 395                                                                                   |
| JAMMU AND KASHMIR                                                                     | 838                                                                                   |
| JHARKHAND                                                                             | 731                                                                                   |
| KARNATAKA                                                                             | 549                                                                                   |
| KERALA                                                                                | 201                                                                                   |
| LADAKH                                                                                | 259                                                                                   |
| MADHYA PRADESH                                                                        | 1,411                                                                                 |
| MAHARASHTRA                                                                           | 1,676                                                                                 |
| MANIPUR                                                                               | 122                                                                                   |
| MEGHALAYA                                                                             | 6                                                                                     |
| MIZORAM                                                                               | 53                                                                                    |
| NAGALAND                                                                              | 1                                                                                     |
| ODISHA                                                                                | 1,648                                                                                 |
| PUNJAB                                                                                | 37                                                                                    |
| RAJASTHAN                                                                             | 1,129                                                                                 |
| SIKKIM                                                                                | 17                                                                                    |
| TAMILNADU                                                                             | 211                                                                                   |
| TELANGANA                                                                             | 179                                                                                   |
| TRIPURA                                                                               | 114                                                                                   |
| UTTAR PRADESH                                                                         | 124                                                                                   |
| UTTARAKHAND                                                                           | 313                                                                                   |
| WEST BENGAL                                                                           | 25                                                                                    |
| Grand Total                                                                           | 13,152                                                                                |

## Annexure-II of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 4352 for 26.03.2025

| State wise details of 4G Saturation Project (status as on 28.02.2025)   | State wise details of 4G Saturation Project (status as on 28.02.2025)   | State wise details of 4G Saturation Project (status as on 28.02.2025)   | State wise details of 4G Saturation Project (status as on 28.02.2025)   | State wise details of 4G Saturation Project (status as on 28.02.2025)   | State wise details of 4G Saturation Project (status as on 28.02.2025)   |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| No.                                                                     |                                                                         | 4G Tower Status                                                         | 4G Tower Status                                                         | Villages 4G Coverage                                                    | Villages 4G Coverage                                                    |
| S.                                                                      | Name of State/UT                                                        | Tower Planned                                                           | Tower Installed                                                         | Villages Planned                                                        | Villages covered                                                        |
| 1                                                                       | ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS                                             | 164                                                                     | 112                                                                     | 207                                                                     | 147                                                                     |
| 2                                                                       | ANDHRA PRADESH                                                          | 1,380                                                                   | 922                                                                     | 2,455                                                                   | 1,694                                                                   |
| 3                                                                       | ARUNACHAL PRADESH                                                       | 717                                                                     | 100                                                                     | 1,526                                                                   | 235                                                                     |
| 4                                                                       | ASSAM                                                                   | 500                                                                     | 208                                                                     | 591                                                                     | 246                                                                     |
| 5                                                                       | BIHAR                                                                   | 91                                                                      | 77                                                                      | 138                                                                     | 118                                                                     |
| 6                                                                       | CHENNAI                                                                 | 19                                                                      | 19                                                                      | 19                                                                      | 19                                                                      |
| 7                                                                       | CHHATTISGARH                                                            | 664                                                                     | 373                                                                     | 827                                                                     | 442                                                                     |
| 8                                                                       | DADRA AND NAGAR HAVELI                                                  | 17                                                                      | 15                                                                      | 29                                                                      | 23                                                                      |
| 9                                                                       | GOA                                                                     | 67                                                                      | 17                                                                      | 71                                                                      | 18                                                                      |
| 10                                                                      | GUJARAT                                                                 | 701                                                                     | 509                                                                     | 867                                                                     | 647                                                                     |
| 11                                                                      | HARYANA                                                                 | 5                                                                       | 5                                                                       | 5                                                                       | 5                                                                       |
| 12                                                                      | HIMACHAL PRADESH                                                        | 659                                                                     | 433                                                                     | 1,115                                                                   | 660                                                                     |
| 13                                                                      | JAMMU AND KASHMIR                                                       | 848                                                                     | 381                                                                     | 998                                                                     | 429                                                                     |
| 14                                                                      | JHARKHAND                                                               | 757                                                                     | 488                                                                     | 1,090                                                                   | 704                                                                     |
| 15                                                                      | KARNATAKA                                                               | 804                                                                     | 374                                                                     | 977                                                                     | 460                                                                     |
| 16                                                                      | KERALA                                                                  | 327                                                                     | 283                                                                     | 499                                                                     | 431                                                                     |
| 17                                                                      | LADAKH                                                                  | 271                                                                     | 79                                                                      | 354                                                                     | 112                                                                     |
| 18                                                                      | MADHYA PRADESH                                                          | 1,458                                                                   | 918                                                                     | 1,988                                                                   | 1,203                                                                   |
| 19                                                                      | MAHARASHTRA                                                             | 2,625                                                                   | 1,495                                                                   | 3,004                                                                   | 1,690                                                                   |
| 20                                                                      | MANIPUR                                                                 | 165                                                                     | 6                                                                       | 302                                                                     | 8                                                                       |
| 21                                                                      | MEGHALAYA                                                               | 246                                                                     | 64                                                                      | 280                                                                     | 69                                                                      |
| 22                                                                      | MIZORAM                                                                 | 53                                                                      | 9                                                                       | 58                                                                      | 9                                                                       |
| 23                                                                      | NAGALAND                                                                | 311                                                                     | 63                                                                      | 394                                                                     | 75                                                                      |
| 24                                                                      | ODISHA                                                                  | 1,699                                                                   | 824                                                                     | 2,223                                                                   | 1,090                                                                   |
| 25                                                                      | PUNJAB                                                                  | 43                                                                      | 35                                                                      | 45                                                                      | 37                                                                      |
| 26                                                                      | RAJASTHAN                                                               | 1,360                                                                   | 1,023                                                                   | 1,619                                                                   | 1,195                                                                   |
| 27                                                                      | SIKKIM                                                                  | 20                                                                      | 2                                                                       | 29                                                                      | 2                                                                       |
| 28                                                                      | TAMILNADU                                                               | 245                                                                     | 223                                                                     | 270                                                                     | 244                                                                     |
| 29                                                                      | TELANGANA                                                               | 261                                                                     | 176                                                                     | 339                                                                     | 230                                                                     |
| 30                                                                      | TRIPURA                                                                 | 119                                                                     | 66                                                                      | 176                                                                     | 103                                                                     |
| 31                                                                      | UTTAR PRADESH                                                           | 142                                                                     | 123                                                                     | 179                                                                     | 154                                                                     |
| 32                                                                      | UTTARAKHAND                                                             | 540                                                                     | 409                                                                     | 1,236                                                                   | 938                                                                     |
| 33                                                                      | WEST BENGAL                                                             | 32                                                                      | 10                                                                      | 32                                                                      | 10                                                                      |
|                                                                         | Total                                                                   | 17,310                                                                  | 9,841                                                                   | 23,942                                                                  | 13,447                                                                  |

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