Lok Sabha Question No. 2981 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-17
Subject: Universal Services Obligation Fund (USOF)
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Shri Devusinh Chauhan, Shri Balabhadra Majhi, Shri Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2981 ANSWERED ON 17 TH  DECEMBER, 2025

## UNIVERSAL SERVICES OBLIGATION FUND (USOF)

## 2981.   SHRI VISHWESHWAR HEGDE KAGERI: SHRI DEVUSINH CHAUHAN: SHRI BALABHADRA MAJHI:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

(a) the  current  status  of  broadband  and  mobile  connectivity  expansion  funded  through  the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF), including the total number of villages provided with 4G/5G coverage and broadband access during the last three years;

(b) the details of mobile towers commissioned in rural, remote, tribal and hilly regions through USOF support along with the timelines for completion of ongoing 4G saturation projects, State -wise including Karnataka;

- (c) the details of the steps taken under USOF to accelerate broadband penetration in rural India;
- (d) the measurable outcomes of USOF-funded schemes during the last three years;
- (e) the  major  USOF-backed  projects  presently  under  implementation,  their  sanctioned  cost, physical progress, and expected date of completion;

(f) the steps taken by the Government to expedite the setting up of mobile towers in tribal and hilly areas of the country to address the problem of poor connectivity; and

(g) the manner in which  USOF helped in improving the digital infrastructure along with the notable projects or achievements attributable to said efforts?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (g) For providing high bandwidth capacity internet/broadband connectivity & mobile services and to accelerate broadband penetration in remote & rural villages and Islands, including tribal and hilly areas in the country, a number of steps & projects have been taken up through Digital Bharat  Nidhi  (DBN)  [erstwhile  Universal  Service  Obligation  Fund  (USOF)]  support  by  the Government. Some  of the projects have already been completed and many  are under implementation. Details of the major projects are as follows:

- i. BharatNet  project  is  being  implemented  in  a  phased  manner  to  provide  broadband connectivity to Gram Panchayats (GPs), including rural areas, in the country. As of Nov2025;  2,14,904  GPs  have  been  made  service  ready  and  13,92,767  Fibre  to  the  Home (FTTH) connections have been provided under BharatNet project in the country including

6,26,148  FTTH  connections  during  the  last  three  years.  Further,  Amended  BharatNet Program (ABP), approved by the Government on 04.08.2023, is under implementation for up-gradation of existing network of BharatNet Phase-I and Phase-II, creation of network in balance GPs and on demand basis in remaining non-GP villages from their respective GPs.  Bharat  Sanchar  Nigam  Limited  (BSNL)  has  been  nominated  as  the  Project Management Agency and will also have target of providing 1.50 crore FTTH connections to households in next five years.

- ii. Under 4G Saturation Scheme and other Mobile projects, till  Nov-2025, 23,280  mobile towers  have  been  commissioned  in  the  country  and  during  the  last  three  years  29,009 villages have been covered with 4G. The expected timeline for completion of ongoing 4G saturation projects is December  2026. The State-wise details of mobile towers commissioned in rural, remote, tribal and hilly regions including Karnataka through DBN support is available on DBN website (https://usof.gov.in/en/home).
- iii. Commissioning of Submarine Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) between Chennai and Andaman & Nicobar Islands (2312 Km) and between Mainland (Kochi) and Lakshadweep Islands (1869 km) for providing high speed internet/ data & other services to the Islands.
- iv. Details of the project cost of major DBN supported projects is as follows:

|   SI. No. | Name of Projects                                                                  | Project Cost (Rs. in crores)   |
|-----------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|         1 | BharatNet                                                                         | 188,041                        |
|         2 | 4G Saturation Project                                                             | 30,620                         |
|         3 | Provision of Mobile Services in 7287 Uncovered Villages of Aspirational Districts | 2,876                          |

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