Questions :

Will the Minister of Communications be pleased to state:

• the total number of villages connected with broadband during the last few years, State-wise;

• the total number of Gram Panchayats in the State of Haryana where broadband services have been started and Wi-Fi hotspots created under the Bharat Net Project; and

• the objectives and achievements under the PM-VANI scheme?

ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMUNICATIONS (SHRI DEVUSINH CHAUHAN)

• to (c) Telecom connectivity in India has improved significantly in last 10 years, outlined as follows:

5G services were launched in India on 1st October 2022. Within a span of 14 months, more than 4.15 Lakh 5G sites are providing connectivity across 742 districts. This is the fastest roll-out of 5G anywhere in the world.

To further improve telecom connectivity in the country, Government is implementing various schemes.

• A total of 41,160 mobile towers have been sanctioned with an outlay of 41,331 Cr to provide 4G connectivity to about 55 thousand villages.
• Scope of BharatNet program has been expanded to connect all inhabited villages with an outlay of Rs. 1.88 Lakh Cr.

State-wise details of the Gram Panchayats covered in BharatNet and Wi-Fi hotspots are available on DoT website.