Lok Sabha Question No. 1945 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-11
Subject: Upgrade 4G/5G Network Services
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Shri Dileshwar Kamait, Shri Bhojraj Nag

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1945 TO BE ANSWERED ON 11 TH  FEBRUARY, 2026

## UPGRADE 4G/5G NETWORK SERVICES

## †1945. SHRI DILESHWAR KAMAIT: SHRI BHOJRAJ NAG:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

(a) whether the increase in length of optical fiber cable has led to improvement in broadband speed, reliability of network and preparations for 4G/5G;

- (b) if so, the measurable outcomes in the context of network performance;

(c) whether  the  OFC  connectivity  has  been  helpful  in  expansion  of  digital  services  like governance, education and telemedicine; and

- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(a) & (b) Yes,  sir. Details  of  measurable  outcomes  in  the  context  of  network  performance across the country are as follows:

- (i) Mobile broadband speed: Average mobile broadband download speed has increased from 13.67 Mbps in March 2022 to 132.00 Mbps in December 2025 as per Ookla's global speedtest index.
- (ii) Network reliability: As per the report of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) for December 2025, all Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) met all Quality of Service (QoS) benchmarks for network-related parameters for the 4G/5G network.
- (iii) 4G/5G  readiness: The  number  of  the  4G/5G  Base  Transceiver  Stations  (BTSs) increased by 51.33% from 16.91 lakh as on 31.3.2022 to 25.59 lakh as on 31.12.2025.
- (iv) Latency: As per TRAI report, latency in September 2025 is less than 75 milliseconds and the cumulative downtime (cells not available for service) is within the specified limits of less than 2%.

(c) & (d) Yes,  sir.  The  expansion  of  Optical  fibre  cable  (OFC)  connectivity  and  improved broadband/internet connectivity have supported Digital India initiatives and accelerated the adoption of digital services nationwide. The status of some of the key e-governance initiatives is as follows:

- (i) Aadhaar  is  the  world's  largest  digital  identity  system  that  provides  biometric  and demographic data based unique digital identity. Over 143 crore Aadhaar numbers have been generated so far.

- (ii) DigiLocker  has  enabled  access  on  anytime,  anywhere  basis  to  authenticate  digital documents from the original issuer for the common citizen. More than 65.01 crore users are registered with DigiLocker to avail of its services.
- (iii) The  Unified  Mobile  Application  for  New-age  Governance  (UMANG)  mobile application for all government services is operational and offers over 2,390 services for individuals. It has witnessed cumulative 726.43 crore transactions.
- (iv) CSCs are offering government and business services in the assisted digital mode. Over 800 services are being delivered through CSCs. As of December 2025, 5.87 lakh CSCs were functional across the country, in both rural and urban areas, of which 4.57 lakh were functional at the Gram Panchayat level in rural areas.
- (v) Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan (PMGDISHA), which was initiated to  reach  functional  digital  literacy  in  6  crore  rural  households  (one  person  per household) nationwide, has reached 6.39 crore individuals.
- (vi) During  the  financial  year  2024-25,  total  digital  payments  transactions  were  23,834 crore. The number of such transactions in the current financial year, till 4.2.2026, is 20,856 crore.

Further, out of 6,44,131 villages in the country (village data as per the office of the Registrar General of India), around 6,34,955 villages are covered with mobile connectivity, including 6,31,834 villages having 4G mobile connectivity. Thus, 98.09% villages have access to the internet.

As of 30.9.2025, out of a total of 101.78 crore internet subscribers in India, 42.77 crore are rural subscribers and 59.01 crore are urban subscribers.

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