Lok Sabha Question No. 1605 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-07-29
Subject: BSNL Telecom Network
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: RAHUL KASWAN, PONNUSAMY VENUGOPAL, KUNWAR PUSHPENDRA SINGH CHANDEL, RAKSHA NIKHIL KHADSE, OM BIRLA, CH. MALLA REDDY, P.R. SUNDARAM, RITI PATHAK, RAJU ALIAS DEVAPPA ANNA SHETTI

**GOVERNMENT OF INDIA**

**MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY**

**DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS**

**LOK SABHA**

**UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1605**

**TO BE ANSWERED ON 29** **TH** **JULY, 2015**

**BSNL Telecom Network**

**†1605. 	SHRI RAHUL KASWAN:**

**DR. P. VENUGOPAL:**

**KUNWAR PUSHPENDRA SINGH CHANDEL:**

**SHRIMATI RAKSHATAI KHADSE:**

**SHRI OM BIRLA:**

**SHRI CH. MALLA REDDY:**

**SHRI P.R. SUNDARAM:**

**SHRIMATI RITI PATHAK:**

**SHRI RAJU SHETTY:**

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

(a)	 the details of mobile towers set up by BSNL and their network capacity in the various telecom circles, circle and State-wise;

(b) 	whether Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (BSNL) plan to install mobile towers in low penetrated, backward, hilly areas and along international border to provide better mobile connectivity in the next phase;

(c) 	if so, the details thereof, State-wise and whether the Government has received proposals from State Governments including Assam for setting up mobile towers for better connectivity and to counter insurgency and infiltration through border;

(d)	 if so, the details thereof and the action taken by the BSNL thereon along with the funds earmarked for the purpose;

(e)	 whether many mobile towers are still non-functional due to want of equipments,

lack of proper maintenance and supply of power; and

(f) 	if so, the details thereof, State-wise and the action taken by the Government in this regard?

ANSWER

**THE MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY**

**(SHRI RAVI SHANKAR PRASAD)**

(a)	Circle-wise details of mobile towers set up by Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (BSNL) alongwith their network capacity, are given in **Annexure-I.**

(b)to(d)	BSNL is augmenting its mobile network in the country including backward, hilly areas and along international border as a part of its Phase-VII Project to create additional capacity of 15 million lines with addition of 14,232 number of 2G sites and 10,510 number of 3G sites at an estimated cost of Rs. 4804.77 crores. This will improve telecom facilities in rural/ backward/ hilly areas, providing state of the art equipment and enhancing its data carrying capabilities to provide faster data speeds to rural and urban customers. State-wise details of these additional sites are given in Annexure-II.

In addition, Government has assigned following projects to BSNL:-

- Comprehensive Telecom Development Plan for the North-Eastern Region for **p** rovision of mobile services in uncovered villages in Arunachal Pradesh and two districts of Assam namely, KarbiAnglong and Dima Hasao at estimated project cost of Rs. 1975.38 crore.

- **I** mplementation of Transmission-Media Plan for North Eastern Region at an estimated cost of Rs.295.97 crore.

- Implementation of providing mobile connectivity in 2199 identified locations in Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected areas at an estimated cost of Rs. 3567.58 crores.

- Implementation of Comprehensive Telecom Development plan for Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep Islands through augmentation of satellite connectivity/bandwidth at an estimated cost of Rs. 99.03 crores and augmentation of OFC network at a cost of Rs. 20 crores has been assigned to BSNL.

(e)&(f)		BSNL has reported that some mobile towers are non-functional for 	want of equipment and non-availability of power supply.  Details of non-	functional BTSs are given in Annexure-III. The problem of non-functional 	BTSs due to lack of equipment will be resolved by equipments being 	installed by BSNL in Phase-VII expansion project. For other reasons, BSNL 	is pursuing the matter with State Governments and legal authorities.

**ANNEXURE-I**

**Circle-wise details of BSNL mobile towers and network capacity as on 30-06-2015**

| Sl. No   | Name of circle            | Capacity of network    | 2G  BTS   | 3G BTS   |
|----------|---------------------------|------------------------|-----------|----------|
| 1        | Haryana                   | 2,948,426              | 2,078     | 905      |
| 2        | Himachal Pradesh          | 1428944                | 1,215     | 285      |
| 3        | Jammu & Kashmir           | 1374291                | 1,193     | 427      |
| 4        | Punjab                    | 3901571                | 3,281     | 1,416    |
| 5        | Rajasthan                 | 4489959                | 4,085     | 1,288    |
| 6        | Uttarakhand               | 1124111                | 962       | 432      |
| 7        | Uttar Pradesh   (East)    | 6979900                | 5,472     | 1,298    |
| 8        | Uttar Pradesh   (West)    | 3286762                | 2,581     | 1,245    |
| 9        | Andaman & Nicobar islands | 400000                 | 145       | 43       |
| 10       | Assam                     | 1407739                | 1,376     | 773      |
| 11       | Bihar                     | 2608518                | 2,522     | 734      |
| 12       | Kolkata                   | 1340100                | 1,212     | 642      |
| 13       | Jharkhand                 | 2000918                | 1,306     | 831      |
| 14       | North East I              | 868892                 | 712       | 258      |
| 15       | North East II             | 733581                 | 624       | 203      |
| 16       | Odisha                    | 3052750                | 2,796     | 1,083    |
| 17       | West Bengal               | 2885898                | 2,483     | 629      |
| 18       | Chhattisgarh              | 2045678                | 1,880     | 429      |
| 19       | Gujarat                   | 4549663                | 4,559     | 2,177    |
| 20       | Maharashtra               | 6670071                | 7,224     | 2,387    |
| 21       | Madhya Pradesh            | 3064455                | 3,698     | 1,095    |
| 22       | Andhra Pradesh            | 8396111                | 7,521     | 3,097    |
| 23       | Chennai                   | 1879532                | 1,875     | 782      |
| 24       | Kerala                    | 6215513                | 5,309     | 1,708    |
| 25       | Karnataka                 | 5713065                | 5,633     | 1,439    |
| 26       | Tamil Nadu                | 8025139                | 5,833     | 1,530    |
| Total    | Total                     | 87,391,587             | 77,575    | 27,136   |

Note:  North East-I includes Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram

North East IIincludes Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland

West Bengal includes Sikkim

Maharashtra includes Goa

Andhra Pradesh includes Telangana

**Annexure-II**

**Circle-wise details of sites under Phase-VII GSM Expansion Project**

| Sl. No.   | Name of Circle            | No of 3G BTS   | No of 2G BTS   |
|-----------|---------------------------|----------------|----------------|
|           | Haryana                   | 500            | 719            |
|           | Himachal Pradesh          | 110            | 317            |
|           | Jammu & Kashmir           | 25             | 130            |
|           | Punjab                    | 574            | 722            |
|           | Rajasthan                 | 229            | 595            |
|           | Uttarakhand               | 139            | 320            |
|           | Uttar Pradesh(East)       | 870            | 1,172          |
|           | Uttar Pradesh(West)       | 620            | 949            |
|           | Andaman & Nicobar islands | 0              | 52             |
|           | Assam                     | 70             | 174            |
|           | Bihar                     | 228            | 1,150          |
|           | Kolkata                   | 163            | 166            |
|           | Jharkhand                 | 231            | 246            |
|           | North East-I              | 245            | 328            |
|           | North East-II             | 254            | 258            |
|           | Odisha                    | 925            | 1,355          |
|           | West Bengal               | 390            | 520            |
|           | Chhattisgarh              | 126            | 126            |
|           | Gujarat                   | 379            | 393            |
|           | Maharashtra               | 531            | 574            |
|           | Madhya Pradesh            | 286            | 281            |
|           | Andhra Pradesh            | 1,890          | 1,892          |
|           | Chennai                   | 190            | 0              |
|           | Kerala                    | 795            | 647            |
|           | Karnataka                 | 320            | 636            |
|           | Tamil Nadu                | 420            | 510            |
|           | Grand Total               | 10,510         | 14,232         |

.

**Annexure-III**

**Circle-wise details of non-functional BTSs of BSNL**

| Sl. No.   | Name of Circle            | Total no of non-functional towers    |
|-----------|---------------------------|--------------------------------------|
| 1         | Andaman & Nicobar islands | 1                                    |
| 2         | Bihar                     | 32                                   |
| 3         | Gujarat                   | 63                                   |
| 4         | Himachal Pradesh          | 28                                   |
| 5         | Jammu & Kashmir           | 21                                   |
| 6         | Jharkhand                 | 60                                   |
| 7         | Karnataka                 | 7                                    |
| 8         | Maharashtra               | 92                                   |
| 9         | Madhya Pradesh            | 259                                  |
| 10        | Odisha                    | 214                                  |
| 11        | Punjab                    | 56                                   |
| 12        | Rajasthan                 | 202                                  |
| 13        | Tamil Nadu                | 29                                   |
| 14        | Uttar Pradesh (East)      | 195                                  |
| 15        | Uttar Pradesh (West)      | 207                                  |
| 16        | Uttarakhand               | 83                                   |
| 17        | West Bengal               | 134                                  |
| 18        | Kolkata                   | 5                                    |
| 19        | Chennai                   | 1                                    |
|           | Total                     | 1,689                                |

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