Question : TELEDENSITY

(a) whether the Government have planned a target of raising its teledensity from current low of 2.7 to 7 by 2005 and 15 by 2010 ;

(b) if so, whether country is self sufficient in regard to fund to meet this target ;

(c) if so, the details thereof ;

(d) whether participation of the private sector is needed to achieve this target ;

(e) if so, the details thereof ;

(f) the total new connections required by 2005 and 2010 according to this plan and total investment required on the purpose ; and
(g) the steps being taken by the Government to achieve this target?

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMUNICATION (SHRI TAPAN SIKDAR)

(a) The New Telecom Policy 1999 envisages to achieve the teledensity of 7 by 2005 and 15 by the year 2010 from the current teledensity of 2.92 including Mobile Phones and telephones provide by private basic service operators as on 30.6.2000.

(b),(c),(d) & (e) The perspective plan 2000-2010 of the Department of Telecom Services envisages requirement of approx. 386460 crore including participation by private sector. Out of this total amount of fund the requirement of fund for the Department of Telecom Services and MTNL for the period 2000-01 to 2009-10 to meet the plan Outlays is Rs.254179 crore. However, details of mobilization of funds have not been worked out since normally these details are worked out during Five Year Plan proposals and Annual Plan proposals. In the past, the Department of Telecom Services and MTNL have made good the short-fall in the internal resources through market borrowings(bonds) to meet the plan outlay and the same procedure will continue during the period in question. The Department of Telecom Services and MTNL will meet the financial resources for the development plans upto 2010 by their own internal resources and market borrowings(bonds).

(f) The Perspective plan 2000-2010 of Department of Telecom Services envisages addition of a total of 387.85 lakh fixed telephones and 107.32 lakh mobile phones by 2005 both by private operators and DTS including MTNL and during 2005-2010 a total of 271.76 lakh fixed telephones and 695.24 lakh mobile phones will be required to be provided both by private operators and DTS including MTNL.

The total estimated requirement of funds for the period 2000-2010 is Rs.386460 crore.

(g) Annual targets are being progressively enhanced to meet the requirement and to achieve the target of teledensity as envisaged in the New Telecom Policy-1999.