Question : TELECOM FACILITIES

(a) the number of persons on the waiting list for telephone connections in rural and urban areas of Rajasthan;

(b) the time by which the waiting list is likely to be cleared;

(c) the progress made in regard to laying of Optical Fibre Cables (OFC) in the State;

(d) the steps taken by the Government to cover all the areas of the State with OFC;

(e) whether the Government proposed to provide value added services in backward areas of the State;

(f) if so, the details thereof;
(g) whether private companies have also been given permission alongwith the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited in the field of communications in Rajasthan;
(h) if so, the details thereof;
(i) whether all exchanges of Rajasthan have been connected with new technique; and
(j) if so, the details thereof?

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS(SHRI TAPAN SIKDAR )

(a) & (b): The number of persons on the waiting list in rural and urban areas of Rajasthan, as on 31/1/2001, is as under:-

Urban	=	37,765	Rural =	92,271	Total =	1,30,036

Sl.No.	Name of Private Company Type of service	Service areas
1	M/s ABC Communication India Ltd.	Radio Paging	Jaipur
2	M/s Modi Korea Telecommunications Ltd.	Radio Paging	Jaipur
3	M/s Punwire Mobile Communications Ltd.	Radio Paging	Rajasthan except Jaipur
4	M/s Hexacom India Ltd.	Cellular Mobile Tel Service	Rajasthan
5	M/s Air Cell Digilink Ltd.	Cellular Mobile Tel Service	Rajasthan
6	M/s Shyam Telelink Ltd.	Basic Services	Rajasthan


(i) & (j): Yes, Sir. All 2,003 Exchanges working in Rajasthan as on 31/1/2001, are Electronic Exchanges.