7% of Rajasthan villages still do not have 4G services

In Rajasthan, still 3,734 villages are deprived of 4G network, a Lok Sabha reply given by minister of railways, communications and electronics and information technology Ashwini Vaishnaw stated. It also stated that out of 46,077 villages (as per Registrar General of India data till November 2019) in the state, 42,343 villages are covered with 4G network. The minister gave this reply in Lok Sabha while replying to a starred question on December 21.

“As per data received from Telecom Service Providers (TSPs), department of telecom’s field unit and state governments as of March ‘2022, out of 6,44,131 villages (villages are as per data of Registrar General of India as of November 2019) in the country, around 5,98,951 (93%) villages are having 4G mobile network and 45,180 number of villages are not having 4G mobile coverage, the reply stated.

“Government and TSPs provide telecommunication connectivity in the country in a phased manner. Government through funding from Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) is implementing various schemes for providing mobile network coverage in all uncovered villages of the country,” it further added.

According to the reply, there is a provision of 4G mobile connectivity in 7,287 aspirational district villages (Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Odisha) and provision of 4G mobile connectivity in 502 uncovered villages of aspirational districts in four states (namely Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh & Rajasthan). TOI