Number of mobile users in India reached 115.12 crore: Centre
New Delhi| According to the information given in Parliament, the total number of mobile-using consumers in the country has reached 115.12 crore as of October 31. Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development, Dr. Chandrashekhar Pemmasani, in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, said that out of 6,44,131 villages in the country, about 6,23,622 villages now have mobile coverage.
Mobile coverage is provided to unpopulated villages in a phased manner by the Government and Telecommunication Service Providers (TSPs). The Union Minister said that in addition, the government is implementing various schemes and projects under the Digital India Fund (DBN) to expand telecom connectivity through installation of mobile towers in rural, remote and hilly areas of the country.
The BharatNet project (formerly known as National Optical Fiber Network) funded by the Digital India Fund is being implemented in a phased manner to provide broadband connectivity to all Gram Panchayats (GPs) in the country.
BharatNet programme was approved by the Cabinet for upgrading the existing networks of BharatNet Phase-I and Phase-II, construction of the network in the remaining approximately 42,000 gram panchayats, operation and maintenance for 10 years and use at a total cost of Rs 1,39,579 crore
Last week, the government reported that mobile network coverage in rural India has reached nearly 97 per cent and 6,14,564 villages are covered with 4 G mobile connectivity.
In response to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Dr. Pemmasani said 4,543 particularly vulnerable tribal group (PVTG) settlements were identified as without mobile connectivity under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs’ Pradhan Mantri Tribal Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM Janaman) and 1,136 of these PVTG settlements are covered with mobile connectivity.
Meanwhile, 779 out of 783 districts in the country have 5 G services as of October 31. In addition, more than 4.6 lakh 5 G Base Transceiver Stations (BTS) have been established in the country.
