Lok Sabha Question No. 329 (STARRED), answered on 2024-12-18
Subject: Internet Penetration
Ministry: COMMUNICATION
Asked by: Dr. Nishikant Dubey

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 329 TO BE ANSWERED ON 18 TH  DECEMBER, 2024

## INTERNET PENETRATION

## *329.   Dr. Nishikant Dubey:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  employed  any  strategy  to  ensure  internet  accessibility  and affordability across the country particularly in rural and remote areas, especially in Jharkhand and if so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise;
- (b) whether any initiative is being taken to bridge the digital divide in rural areas and promote internet penetration across the country; and
- (c) if so, the details thereof, particularly in the State of Jharkhand?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF 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. 329 FOR 18 TH  DECEMBER, 2024 REGARDING 'INTERNET PENETRATION.'

(a) to (c) Internet access is available in the country including rural areas through the Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) through wireless mobile and fixed wireline broadband.

Government has taken numerous initiatives to enhance internet connectivity in India through mobile connectivity and optical fiber rollout. As a result, as of October, 2024:

-  Number of 4G Base Transceiver Station (BTS) have reached 24,96,644 spread across 783 districts
-  India has seen the fastest rollout of 5G services in the world with 4,62,084 BTS deployed across 779 districts
-  The cost of data has reduced drastically from Rs 269 per GB (in March 2014) to Rs. 9.08 per GB
-  The Median mobile broadband speed has increased from 1.30 Mbps in March 2014 to 95.67 Mbps
-  The average wireless usage of data per subscriber has increased to 22.24 GB per subscriber per month

Out of 6,44,131 villages, 6,15,836 number of villages are having 4G mobile connectivity in the country. 31,546 of the total 32,370 villages in Jharkhand have 4G mobile connectivity.

Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN) (erstwhile Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF)) has the mandate for  supporting  universal  service  delivery  of  telecommunication  services  in  underserved rural, remote and urban areas. Through the various schemes funded by DBN such as BharatNet and 4G  saturation  projects,  rural  and  remote  areas  of  the  country  including  Jharkhand  have  been connected  by  optical  fibre  and  mobile  internet.  Out  of  the  4,416  Gram  Panchayats  (GPs)  of Jharkhand, 4,390 GPs have been made service ready under BharatNet project through optical fiber connectivity.

Government has also approved the Amended BharatNet Program (ABP) in August 2023. The program provides for internet access by Optical Fibre (OF) connectivity to 2.64 lakh GPs in ring topology and also to provide OF connectivity to the remaining Non-GP villages (approx. 3.8 lakhs) on demand basis.

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