Govt Committed to Extending Digital Connectivity to the Remotest Regions: Scindia in Lok Sabha

Union Minister of Communications and Development of North Eastern Region, Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, informed the Lok Sabha that the Government of India remains fully committed to extending digital connectivity to every part of the country, including the remotest and most geographically challenging regions.

Responding to questions in the House, the Minister highlighted that connectivity is central to India's inclusive development agenda and that the government is ensuring that even the farthest villages are empowered through modern telecom infrastructure and broadband expansion.

Empowering the "First Villages" of the Ashtalakshmi States

Addressing connectivity challenges in the Northeast, Shri Scindia referred to remote areas such as Vijaynagar in Arunachal Pradesh. He noted that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has transformed the national mindset from viewing such settlements as "last villages" to recognising them as "India's first villages" under the Vibrant Village Programme.

The government, he stated, is committed to digitally empowering these regions, ensuring that development reaches border and tribal communities.

He also mentioned ongoing coordination with the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh and the concerned Member of Parliament to address environmental and geographical constraints, including:

• Wildlife sanctuary-related restrictions

• Right of Way (RoW) issues

• Difficult terrain and infrastructure challenges

Near-Universal 4G Coverage Across Villages

Replying to a supplementary question, Dr Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani, Minister of State for Rural Development and Communications, stated that India has achieved near-universal 4G coverage in its villages and is witnessing one of the fastest 5G rollouts globally.

He informed that out of nearly 6.4 lakh villages in the country:

• Around 6.31 lakh villages have already been covered with 4G services

• Coverage has been achieved through both private operators and BSNL

• The remaining 10,000 villages are being connected under ongoing 4G saturation projects

These villages are expected to receive connectivity in the coming months.

BSNL Deploying Indigenous Towers in Commercially Unviable Areas

Dr Pemmasani further stated that BSNL has deployed 1,00,000 towers using indigenously developed technology, particularly in areas where private telecom operators find limited techno-commercial viability.

He also noted that approximately 5,00,000 villages have already been covered with 5G services, marking one of the fastest rollouts globally.

Massive Expansion of Optical Fibre Cable Network

The written reply submitted in Parliament highlighted significant growth in India's fibre infrastructure.

During the last three financial years (1 April 2022 to 31 March 2025):

• 8,50,284 route kilometres of Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) were laid across the country

As of 31 December 2025:

• Total OFC laid in India has reached 42,53,334 route kilometres

Major states contributing to OFC expansion include:

• Tamil Nadu: 1,02,865 km laid in three years

• Kerala: 88,591 km

• Andhra Pradesh: 81,307 km

• Maharashtra: 70,178 km

• Uttar Pradesh: 55,672 km

Measurable Improvements in Telecom Performance

The government also highlighted measurable improvements in network performance and digital readiness:

Mobile Broadband Speed

Average mobile broadband download speed increased from:

• 13.67 Mbps in March 2022to

• 132.00 Mbps in December 2025(as per Ookla Global Speedtest Index)

Network Reliability

According to TRAI's December 2025 report:

• All Telecom Service Providers met Quality of Service benchmarks for 4G/5G parameters

Growth in 4G/5G BTS Infrastructure

The number of 4G/5G Base Transceiver Stations increased by:

• 51.33% from 16.91 lakh (March 2022)to

• 25.59 lakh (December 2025)

Latency and Downtime Benchmarks

TRAI reported that by September 2025:

• Latency was below 75 milliseconds

• Cumulative downtime remained within the specified limit of less than 2%

BharatNet Strengthening Rural Broadband and Governance Access

The expansion of OFC connectivity under BharatNet has significantly facilitated the adoption of digital services across rural India.

As of 31 December 2025:

• 2,14,904 Gram Panchayats have been made service-ready under BharatNet

High-speed broadband has strengthened citizen access to government services through:

• Common Service Centres (CSCs)

• Online portals

• Digital platforms

Key Digital Governance Achievements

The written statement also highlighted the scale of India's digital public infrastructure:

• Aadhaar: Over 143 crore digital identities generated

• DigiLocker: 65.01 crore registered users

• UMANG App: Over 2,390 services and 726.43 crore transactions

• CSC Network: 5.87 lakh functional centres, including 4.57 lakh at Gram Panchayat level

• PMGDISHA: Digital literacy achieved for 6.39 crore individuals

• Digital Payments: 23,834 crore transactions in FY 2024–25

Village Connectivity and Internet Penetration

Out of 6,44,131 villages in India:

• Around 6,34,955 villages have mobile connectivity

• 6,31,834 villages have 4G connectivity

Thus:

• 98.09% villages now have access to the internet

As of 30 September 2025:

• Total internet subscribers: 101.78 crore

• Rural subscribers: 42.77 crore

• Urban subscribers: 59.01 crore

Digital Inclusion as a National Mission

The Lok Sabha reply reflects the government's sustained push towards universal connectivity, especially in remote border areas and the Northeastern states.

Through 4G saturation projects, indigenous BSNL expansion, BharatNet fibre rollout, and the Vibrant Village Programme, India is rapidly moving towards a future where digital access becomes a basic right and an engine of inclusive development.