Lok Sabha Question No. 2842 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-05-11
Subject: Internet Users
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: VIRENDRA  KUMAR, ANANT KUMAR DATTATREYA HEGDE, NISHIKANT  DUBEY

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2842 TO BE ANSWERED ON 11 TH  MAY, 2016

## INTERNET USERS

- †2842. DR. VIRENDRA KUMAR: SHRI ANANTKUMAR HEGDE: SHRI NISHIKANT DUBEY:

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

- (a) the estimated percentage of internet users among the total population in the country separately in rural and urban areas;
- (b) whether the percentage of internet users in India is quite low as compared to other countries including China;
- (c) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor and the action taken by the Government in this regard;
- (d) whether  there  has  been  large  number  of  complaints  of  slow  and  disruptive internet connectivity in the country; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof separately in urban and rural areas, State-wise and the corrective action taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) Madam, as per 'The Indian Telecom Services Performance Indicators' report published by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), there are 25.73 internet users  per  100  population  in  the  country  on  30 th September  2015.  There  are  54.43 internet users per 100 population in the urban areas and 12.81 internet users per 100 population in the rural areas.

However, as per the report of Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) on the subject 'Internet in India 2015' published in November, 2015, there are 28% ever internet users (users claiming to access the internet at least once in their lives) in the country. This figure was 59% for urban areas and 14% for rural areas.

(b)&(c): As per 'The State of Broadband Report 2015' published in September, 2015    by  Broadband  Commission,  International  Telecommunications  Union  (ITU), world ranking of India in terms of percentage of internet users was 136 whereas that of China was 82 during the year 2014.

Further, in order to enhance the internet users in the country,   National Optical Fibre  Network  (NOFN)/BharatNet  project    has  been  planned  to  connect  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 funded by the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) with an estimated  cost  of  Rs.  20,100  Crores.    The  project  is  being  executed  by  a  Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), namely,   Bharat Broadband Network Limited (BBNL). Under this project, at least 100 Mbps bandwidth has 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.  As  on  02.05.2016,  Optical  Fibre  Cable (OFC) has been laid in 1, 11,729Kms and 50,465 Gram Panchayats (GPs) have been connected with OFC.   Out of these, 6834 GPs have been provided with broadband connectivity.

(d)&(e) As per the information provided by TRAI, the service area-wise number of complaints received w.e.f. 01.04.2015 to 31.03.2016 is enclosed as Annexure.

Further,  TRAI  is  monitoring  the  performance  of  Telecom  Service  Providers (TSPs) providing Broadband services and Wireless Data services against the Quality of  service  standards  laid  down  by  TRAI  through  performance  monitoring  reports submitted by TSPs on quarterly basis for the service area as a whole.

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 qualities 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.

Contd…3/-

## Annexure

## Service Area Wise Number Of Complaints w.e.f. 1.4.2015 to 31.03.2016

| Name of Service Area   | Nature of Complaints    | Nature of Complaints   |                  |
|------------------------|-------------------------|------------------------|------------------|
| Name of Service Area   | Poor speed of Broadband | Others                 | Total Complaints |
| Andhra Pradesh         | 6                       | 30                     | 36               |
| Punjab                 | 32                      | 71                     | 103              |
| Bihar                  | 27                      | 65                     | 92               |
| Delhi                  | 238                     | 425                    | 663              |
| Uttar Pradesh (East)   | 22                      | 66                     | 88               |
| Gujarat                | 59                      | 134                    | 193              |
| Haryana                | 23                      | 38                     | 61               |
| Himachal Pradesh       | 2                       | 11                     | 13               |
| Jammu & Kashmir        | 0                       | 4                      | 4                |
| Kolkata                | 40                      | 104                    | 144              |
| Kerala                 | 16                      | 22                     | 38               |
| Mumbai                 | 42                      | 137                    | 179              |
| North East             | 1                       | 4                      | 5                |
| Orissa                 | 8                       | 5                      | 13               |
| Rajasthan              | 52                      | 58                     | 110              |
| Assam                  | 2                       | 8                      | 10               |
| Tamilnadu              | 54                      | 100                    | 154              |
| West Bengal            | 19                      | 56                     | 75               |
| Uttar Pradesh (West)   | 29                      | 50                     | 79               |
| Karnataka              | 38                      | 110                    | 148              |
| Madhya Pradesh         | 9                       | 48                     | 57               |
| Maharashtra            | 56                      | 85                     | 141              |
| Chennai                | 15                      | 32                     | 47               |

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