Question : Internet Speed

(a) whether a reported global survey based on internet speed test has ranked India at 119th position out of 189 countries and if so, the details thereof and the reaction of the Government thereto;

(b) whether the internet users across the country are reportedly experiencing slow and erratic internet speed and if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor along with the remedial steps taken by the Government in this regard; and

(c) the steps taken by the Government to provide minimum two mbps internet speed to the internet users across the country to boost the digital economy?

THE MINISTER OF STATE (IC) OF THE MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS &
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS
(SHRI MANOJ SINHA)

(a) As per the worldwide country rankings released by cable.co.uk, India has been ranked 119th out of 189 countries. However, as per Akamai’s (an international agency) Quarter1, 2017 report on “The State of Internet”, India has a global rank of 89 in terms of average internet connection speed. India was having a global rank of 114, as per Akamai’s Quarter1, 2016 report. As per these reports of Akamai, the global rank of India has improved during last one year.

(b) & (c) Internet speed depends on various parameters such as technology deployed, network coverage, number of simultaneous users accessing the internet, connectivity to the website being accessed etc. The speed of mobile internet is further dependent on a number of factors such as distance from Base Transceiver Station (BTS) serving the customer, the number of simultaneous users being served by the BTS, the traffic handled by the BTS etc. As such, the mobile users may experience different speeds at different location and time of usage.

Government has planned the BharatNet project to provide 100 Mbps broadband connectivity to all Gram Panchayats (approx. 2.5 lakh) in the country by using an optimal mix of underground fibre, fibre over power lines, radio and satellite media. Under first phase of the project, 1 lakh Gram Panchayats (GPs) are to be connected. Under Phase-II, to be completed by March 2019, connectivity will be provided to remaining 1.5 lakh GPs.

In addition to above, Government has allocated 965 Megahertz spectrum through auction in October 2016 to various telecom service providers for access services. Telecom Service Providers are continuously rolling out their networks using this spectrum resulting into the increase in internet connectivity and speed in the country.