Lok Sabha Question No. 5299 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-25
Subject: Telecom Black Spots on National Highways
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Dr. Sambit Patra

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5299 TO BE ANSWERED ON 25 TH  MARCH, 2026

## TELECOM BLACK SPOTS ON NATIONAL HIGHWAYS

## 5299.   DR. SAMBIT PATRA:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has conducted any study to detect the number of telecom black spots on  National  Highways  where  mobile  networks  are missing  and    if  so,  the  details  thereof,  Statewise/UT-wise; and

(b) the measures undertaken by the Government to resolve the issue of telecom black spots on National Highways?

## ANSWER

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

(a) No specific study for identifying mobile coverage gaps along National Highways across the country has been done by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). However, in a specific case, National Highways Authority of India has reported few cases of mobile coverage gaps in the country. Upon which, 135 blackout locations along National Highways have been identified by DoT field units. State-wise details are attached as Annexure-I .

(b) Government through Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN) had undertaken several mobile projects for provision of mobile coverage to the uncovered villages across the country and also along the National Highways  across  the  North  Eastern  States  (Arunachal  Pradesh,  Assam,  Manipur,  Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura) and union territory of Andaman & Nicobar Islands. 333 mobile towers have been commissioned for provision of mobile services along the National Highways across the North Eastern States and union territory of Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

| S.N.   | Name of State    |   No. of Blackout stretches identified by DoT field units |
|--------|------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------|
| 1      | Andhra Pradesh   |                                                        22 |
| 2      | Assam            |                                                         3 |
| 3      | Bihar            |                                                         0 |
| 4      | Chhattisgarh     |                                                         0 |
| 5      | Gujarat          |                                                         4 |
| 6      | Himachal Pradesh |                                                         3 |
| 7      | Jharkhand        |                                                         5 |
| 8      | Karnataka        |                                                        36 |
| 9      | Madhya Pradesh   |                                                         7 |
| 10     | Maharashtra      |                                                         6 |
| 11     | Meghalaya        |                                                         4 |
| 12     | Odisha           |                                                         6 |
| 13     | Rajasthan        |                                                        23 |
| 14     | Tamil Nadu       |                                                         3 |
| 15     | Telangana        |                                                         8 |
| 16     | Uttar Pradesh    |                                                         2 |
| 17     | Uttarakhand      |                                                         3 |
| Total  | Total            |                                                       135 |

*****

## Annexure-I