Parliament Question: Mobile Towers in Rural and Remote Areas

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4267 TO BE ANSWERED ON 18TH MARCH, 2026 MOBILE TOWERS IN RURAL AND REMOTE AREAS 4267. SHRI NAVASKANI K: Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government has sanctioned 41,160 mobile towers with an outlay of Rs. 41,331 crore to provide 4G connectivity to about 55,000 villages across the country particularly to improve digital inclusion in rural and remote areas and if so, the details thereof; (b) the number of such mobile towers sanctioned, installed and commissioned in Tamil Nadu, district-wise; (c) the number of villages in the State identified for 4G connectivity under the said programme and the progress achieved so far; (d) whether any delays or implementation challenges have been reported in providing reliable mobile and internet connectivity in rural and tribal areas of Tamil Nadu; and (e) the steps taken/being taken to expedite completion, ensure network quality and improve access to digital services for residents of uncovered villages in the State? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (DR. PEMMASANI CHANDRA SEKHAR) (a) The Government has approved projects through Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN), to provide 4G mobile connectivity and improve digital inclusion in rural and remote areas, across the country. After survey of villages included in the projects, 33,422 mobile towers have been planned to provide coverage in 44,802 uncovered villages/ locations. As of 28.02.2026, 22,840 towers are on-air covering 32,455 villages/locations through these projects. (b) & (c) 4G Saturation Project has been approved to provide 4G mobile connectivity in uncovered villages of India including Tamil Nadu. Number of mobile towers sanctioned, villages planned, on-air towers and villages covered under this project District-wise in the State of Tamil Nadu, is available on DBN website (https://usof.gov.in/en/home). (d) Execution of a few sites has been delayed due to factors such as delay in land allotment for mobile towers. (e) Regular review meetings with executing agency and coordination meetings with state and central government authorities are held to resolve bottlenecks, for expeditious completion of the project. To ensure the quality of service, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has made the Standards of Quality of Service of Access (Wireline and Wireless) and Broadband (Wireline and Wireless) Service Regulations, 2024. The implementing agencies of the DBN mobile projects are required to ensure that the quality of service parameters meet the benchmarks laid down by TRAI. ***** 1