A Mobile tower in Dimapur. (Inset table source) Ministry of Communications, Department Of Telecommunications based on TRAI Data.
Morung Express News
Dimapur | February 3
Nagaland has the third lowest teledensity in the North-East, data provided in the Lok Sabha informed on February 2.
As of June 2021, the State had overall teledensity (wireline+ wireless) of 75.46, while the wireless teledensity stood at 74.95, informed the written reply given by the Union Minister of State for Communications Devusinh Chauhan to an unstarred question in the Lower House of the Parliament.
Among the NE States, Assam had the lowest teledensity at 71.75 (overall) and 71.29 (wireless) followed by Meghalaya at 75.06 and 74.22 respectively.
Tele-density was highest in Sikkim at 142.49 overall and 141.7 for wireless, followed by Mizoram at 117.58 and 116.05 respectively.
Incidentally, data provided by the Minister based on the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) data informed that states like Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Tripura witnessed fall in overall as well as wireless teledensity between June 2018 and June 2021.
For instance, overall teledensity in Arunachal Pradesh fell from 100.43 to 89.66 between June 2018 and June 2021, while in Manipur, it decreased from 81.35 to 77.22. It declined from 82.98 to 78.93 in Tripura. (See Table)
According to data.gov.in, the Open Data platform of the Government of India, teledensity is the number of telephone connections for every hundred individuals living within an area.
It varies widely across the nations and also between urban and rural areas within a country and tele-density has significant correlation with the per capita GDP of the area, it added.
Meanwhile, in a related query by Pradyut Bordoloi, currently a Member of Parliament representing Nowgong constituency in Assam, as to whether Government is currently taking any measures to improve teledensity and mobile service coverage in the NE, Chauhan highlighted several initiatives.
Among other, he informed that mobile services are provided in a phased manner by the Government in the uncovered villages, and Telecom Services Provider (TSPs) in the country.
Under Universal Service Obligation Fund, there is provision of mobile services in uncovered villages in Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh (National Highways only) and seamless coverage along National Highway, he informed.
There is also scheme for provision of mobile services in uncovered villages of Meghalaya and seamless coverage along National Highway as well as in uncovered villages of Arunachal Pradesh and 2 Districts (Karbi Anglong & Dima Hasao) of Assam, he added.
Status of BharatNet
On BharatNet project being implemented in a phased manner to provide broadband connectivity to all Gram Panchayats (GPs) in the country, the MoS informed that the scope of project was extended upto all inhabited villages beyond GPs on June 30, 2021, alongwith approval for a revised strategy for implementation through Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model in 16 States, including seven states of NER (i.e. Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, Meghalaya, and Arunachal Pradesh.
As of December 2021, a total of 5761 villages in the NE have been made service ready under BharatNet project, incuding 230 in Nagaland, he added.
GPs falling in remote and hilly areas of NE, where laying of Optical Fiber is difficult, BharatNet connectivity is provided through satellite media, the MoS stated, further informing that the newly developed High Throughput Satellites (HTS) of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), namely GSAT-11 and GSAT-19, are being used to expand telecom coverage.
“Internet services are provided over Mobile and Wireline Media by Telecom Service Providers, and Government through USOF funded Schemes in NER. The above internet services have been utilized by the citizens, including students” he added.
