GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
RAJYA SABHA
STARRED QUESTION NO. 208
ANSWERED ON - 11/03/ 2026
IMPROVING MOBILE NETWORK CONNECTIVITY ON NATIONAL HIGHWAYS
208* SHRI PRAMOD TIWARI:
Will the Minister of ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS be pleased to state:
(a) whether there are critical mobile network connectivity issues across several stretches of
National Highways;
(b) if so,...
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS RAJYA SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 208 ANSWERED ON - 11/03/ 2026 IMPROVING MOBILE NETWORK CONNECTIVITY ON NATIONAL HIGHWAYS 208* SHRI PRAMOD TIWARI:
Will the Minister of ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS be pleased to state:
(a) whether there are critical mobile network connectivity issues across several stretches of National Highways;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) the number of locations identified across the National Highway network as critically affected due to non-availability of the mobile network connectivity; and
(d) the steps taken to address mobile network connectivity gaps on the National Highway corridors? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS (SHRI NITIN JAIRAM GADKARI)
(a) to (d) A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) to (d) OF RAJYA SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 208 ANSWERED ON 11.03.2026, ASKED BY SHRI PRAMOD TIWARI REGARDING ‘IMPROVING MOBILE NETWORK CONNECTIVITY ON NATIONAL HIGHWAYS’.
(a) to (c) The Government in the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways is primarily responsible for the development and maintenance of National Highways across the country,
whereas mobile network connectivity comes under the purview of the Ministry of Communications. As per the inputs received from field units, telecommunication coverage is not available at 424 locations across the National Highways, covering a total length of approximately 1,750 km.
(d) Mobile network connectivity in uncovered inhabited villages is being provided by Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) based on their techno-commercial viability. The Department of Telecommunications, through Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN), has undertaken several schemes for providing mobile network coverage to uncovered villages across the country and along National Highways that are unviable for TSPs. As of February 2026, a total of 333 towers have been installed along National Highways.
Further, to facilitate the installation of telecom infrastructure along National Highways, the Rajmarg Pravesh Portal has been launched for faster processing and grant of Right of Way (RoW) permissions.
To address gaps in mobile network connectivity, directions to Telecom Service Providers are being issued for improving mobile network coverage along National Highways. *****