Lok Sabha Question No. 48 (STARRED), answered on 2016-04-27
Subject: Broadband Internet Speed
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: S.P. MUDDAHANUMEGOWDA, PREM DAS RAI

## MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.48 TO BE ANSWERED ON 27 th  APRIL, 2016

## BROADBAND INTERNET SPEED

- *48. SHRI S.P. MUDDAHANUME GOWDA: SHRI PREM DAS RAI:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of public and private sector companies providing broadband internet services, to the consumers State-wise;
- (b) whether  the  Government  has  formulated  any  policy  or  prescribed  standard speed for internet broadband;
- (c) if so, the details thereof and the reaction of the various stakeholders thereon;
- (d) the  action  taken  by  the  Government  against  the  service  providers  including speed for not adhering to the prescribed norms; and
- (e) the steps being taken by the Government to ensure internet accessibility with high speed in all regions of the country within a fixed timeline and the funds allocated for increasing internet penetration?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI RAVI SHANKAR PRASAD)

- (a) to (e) A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

Contd….2/-

## STATEMENT TO BE LAID ON THE TABLE OF THE LOK SABHA IN RESPECT OF PARTS (a)  TO  (e)  OF  LOK    SABHA  STARRED  QUESTION  NO.  48    FOR  27 TH APRIL, 2016 REGARDING 'BROADBAND INTERNET SPEED '.

(a) Madam, as per information provided by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI),  telecom  service  area  wise  list  of  public  and  private  sector  companies providing broadband internet services to the consumers is enclosed as Annexure-I. State wise details in this regard are not maintained by Government.

(b)&(c) Government, vide Notification No. 4-4/202009-Policy-1 dated 18.7.2013, has revised the definition of Broadband as follows:-

'Broadband is  a data  connection  that  is  able  to  support  interactive  services including internet access and has the capability of the minimum download speed of 512 kbps to an individual subscriber from the point of presence (POP) of the service provider intending to provide Broadband service.'

However, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) are providing broadband connections at a minimum speed of 2 Mbps. Further, no specific reaction has been received from the stakeholders in this regard.

(d) TRAI has laid down the Quality of Service Standards for Broadband Services and Wireless Data Services, including standards relating to speed, through Quality of Service Regulations issued from time to time.  The performance of service providers against  these  standards  are  monitored  through  quarterly  performance  monitoring reports submitted by service providers.

TRAI  has  been  pursuing  with  service  providers  for  improving  Quality  of Service  and  in  this  regard  regular  interactions  are  held  with  the  service  providers. TRAI has also engaged independent agencies for auditing and assessing the quality of  service  and  surveys  are  being  done  regularly  through  independent  agencies  to assess the customer perception of service.  The results of the audit and assessment of  quality  of  service  and  surveys  are  published  for  the  information  of  stakeholders, which also force the service providers to improve the quality of service.  Wherever the quality  of  service  benchmarks  are  not  met,  TRAI  has  also  been  imposing  financial disincentives on service providers providing Broadband Service, for failure to comply with the benchmarks, in accordance with the provisions of the regulations.

(e) National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN) project, renamed as BharatNet, aims at connecting  all  Gram  Panchayats  (approx.  2.5  lakh)  in  the  country  through  Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) utilizing existing fibres of  Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) viz. Bharat  Sanchar  Nigam  Limited  (BSNL),  Power  Grid  Corporation  of  India  Limited (PGCIL) and RailTel and laying incremental fiber wherever necessary to  bridge the connectivity gap between Gram  Panchayats (GPs) and Blocks for providing broadband connectivity. The project is being executed by a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), namely, Bharat Broadband  Network  Limited (BBNL), which has  been incorporated on 25.02.2012 under Indian Companies Act 1956.  Under this project, at least  100  Mbps  bandwidth  is  to  be  provided  in  all  the  estimated  2.5  lakh  GPs  for utilization by all categories of service providers on non-discriminatory basis including Internet Service Providers.

1,10,432 Kms Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) & 1,38,465 Kms of pipe has been laid  and 48,199 GPs have been connected with OFC as on 25.04.2016. Under phase-1 of the project, 1 lakh GPs are targeted to be completed by March 2017.  Further, as against the sanctioned amount of Rs. 20,100 crore under Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF), funds to the tune of Rs.4685.97 crore have been utilized till 31.03.2016.

Contd…4/-

## Annexure-I

## Telecom Service Area wise number of Service Providers reported Broadband subscriber base for the quarter ending 31.12.2015

|                      | No. of Service Providers   | No. of Service Providers   |
|----------------------|----------------------------|----------------------------|
| Telecom Service Area | Private                    | Public Sector              |
| Andhra Pradesh       | 29                         | 4                          |
| Assam                | 17                         | 4                          |
| Bihar                | 20                         | 4                          |
| Delhi                | 37                         | 4                          |
| Gujarat              | 32                         | 4                          |
| Haryana              | 28                         | 4                          |
| Himachal Pradesh     | 16                         | 4                          |
| Jammu& Kashmir       | 13                         | 3                          |
| Karnataka            | 31                         | 4                          |
| Kerala               | 19                         | 4                          |
| Kolkata              | 25                         | 4                          |
| Madhya Pradesh       | 23                         | 4                          |
| Maharashtra          | 32                         | 4                          |
| Mumbai               | 40                         | 4                          |
| North East           | 16                         | 3                          |
| Orissa               | 19                         | 4                          |
| Punjab               | 25                         | 3                          |
| Rajasthan            | 26                         | 4                          |
| Tamil Nadu           | 35                         | 4                          |
| Uttar Pradesh (East) | 22                         | 3                          |
| Uttar Pradesh (West) | 31                         | 4                          |
| West Bengal          | 24                         | 4                          |

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