Question : INTERNET BROADBAND FACILITIES

(a) the number of Broadband connections provided in the country so far separately in urban and rural areas, State-wise;

(b) whether the country`s internet users expected to double to 300 million by 2014;

(c) if so, the details thereof; and

(d) the steps taken/being taken to increase broadband internet penetration in future particularly in rural areas in each State?

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI MILIND DEORA)

(a) The number of Broadband connections provided by the end of December 2011 are 13.35 million. The state wise break-up of Broadband connections is at Annexure-I. Broadband Connections provided by BSNL in urban and rural area, Circle wise as on 31-01-2012 are placed at Annexure-II.

(b) & (c) As per the objectives contained in draft National Telecom Policy 2012, it is proposed to Provide affordable and reliable broadband on demand by the year 2015 and to achieve 175 million broadband connections by the year 2017 and 600 million by the year 2020 at minimum 2 Mbps download speed and making available higher speeds of at least 100 Mbps on demand.

(d) Following schemes being implemented under Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF), will further increase the broadband internet penetration in rural areas:

1. Rural Wireline Broadband Scheme

BSNL will provide 8, 88,832 wire-line Broadband connections to individual users and Government Institutions over a period of 5-years in this scheme. As on February 2012, a total of 3,54,595 broadband connections have been provided.

2. a)“Optical Fibre Network Augmentation, Creation and Management of Intra-District SDHQ-DHQ OFC Network in ASSAM”

This OFC Scheme would connect 354 locations in 27 Districts of Assam within 18 months from 12/2/2010. As of February 2012, about 177 nodes have been installed.

b)“Optical Fibre Network Augmentation, Creation and Management of Intra-District SDHQ-DHQ OFC Network in NE-I Circle (comprising states of Meghalaya, Mizoram & Tripura),”

The States of Meghalaya, Mizoram & Tripura have been taken up for OFC augmentation in this scheme. This OFC Scheme would connect 188 locations in 19 Districts within 24 months from the date of signing of the Agreement.

c) “Optical Fibre Network Augmentation, Creation and Management of Intra-District SDHQ-DHQ OFC Network in NE-II Circle (comprising states of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur & Nagaland),”

The States of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur & Nagaland have been taken up for OFC augmentation in this scheme. This OFC Scheme would connect 407 locations in 30 Districts within 30 months from the date of signing of the Agreement.

3. National Optical Fibre Network

The scheme of National Optical Fiber Network (NOFN) is being implemented, for providing Broadband connectivity to Panchayats. The objective is to extend the existing optical fiber network to Panchayats by utilizing the Universal Services Obligation Fund (USOF).