Over 95 P.c of Villages in India Linked With 3G,4G: Communications Ministry

As of April 2024, 95.15 % of villages in India have entry to the web with 3G/4G cell connectivity, the Ministry of Communications (MoC) mentioned in an announcement on Friday. The federal government emphasised that Common Connectivity and Digital India initiatives are reaching all areas, together with tier-2 and tier-3 cities and villages.

Additionally Learn: Telecom Tariffs Pushed by Market Forces: Ministry of Communications

Digital India Initiative

Beneath the Digital India Initiative, the federal government mentioned it has undertaken a number of initiatives to attach not solely metros but in addition tier-2 and tier-3 cities, in addition to rural and distant areas. The Ministry highlighted that the full variety of web subscribers elevated from 251.59 million as of March 2014 to 954.40 million in March 2024.

As of March 2024, out of a complete of 954.40 million web subscribers in India, there are 398.35 million rural web subscribers. Moreover, as of April 2024, out of 644,131 villages within the nation (as per information from the Registrar Basic of India), 612,952 villages have 3G/4G cell connectivity. Thus, 95.15 % of villages have entry to the web, the Communications Ministry defined.

BharatNet Challenge

Highlighting the BharatNet undertaking, which goals to attach all Gram Panchayats (GPs) within the nation with optical fiber cable (OFC) connectivity to offer broadband providers to rural households, the Ministry said that out of a complete of 222,000 Gram Panchayats envisioned beneath the 2 phases of BharatNet, 213,000 have been made service-ready.

Growth of Rural Web Entry

The amended BharatNet program goals to offer optical fiber connectivity to 42,000 uncovered GPs and the remaining 384,000 villages on a requirement foundation, in addition to to offer 15 million rural house fiber connections, the federal government mentioned.

“A complete of 35,680 uncovered villages/habitations within the nation are being lined beneath the continued USOF schemes. All these villages/habitations are positioned in rural, distant, inaccessible areas and are in troublesome terrain resembling hilly areas and dense forests. Beneath numerous USOF-funded schemes, round 9,000 uncovered villages have been supplied with 4G connectivity, at an expenditure of about 11,000 crore,” it mentioned.

Additionally Learn: Authorities Enforces New Sections of Telecommunications Act 2023

Enhancements in Broadband Velocity

The Ministry famous that the final 10 years have seen an enormous enlargement of the telecom community overlaying all corners of Bharat, together with tier-2/3 cities and villages. This enlargement has resulted in a larger definition of broadband pace, with speeds larger than or equal to 2 Mbps, in addition to a rise within the common obtain pace to 105.85 Mbps as of March 31, 2024, in response to Ookla Velocity Take a look at.

Knowledge Prices

The Ministry additionally highlighted the lower in common information price per GB to Rs 9.18 as of March 31, 2024, from Rs 268.97 as of March 31, 2014, underscoring the affordability of providers. This has additionally led to a rise in common information consumption from 0.26 GB in 2014 to twenty.27 GB in 2024.