Parliament Question: Network Connectivity Blackspots in Wayanad Parliamentary Constituency

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2842 ANSWERED ON 05TH AUGUST, 2026 NETWORK CONNECTIVITY BLACKSPOTS IN WAYANAD PARLIAMENTARY CONSTITUENCY 2842. SMT. PRIYANKA GANDHI VADRA: Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government has taken action to improve coverage in network connectivity blackspots in Wayanad Lok Sabha Constituency and if so, the details thereof; (b) the details of locations with weak or no network connectivity in Wayanad Lok Sabha Constituency including Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups PVTG villages; (c) the details of new sites, as well as existing sites being considered for upgradation under the 4G Saturation Project in Wayanad Lok Sabha Constituency; (d) whether the Government has taken initiatives to strengthen disaster resilient telecommunication infrastructure and if so, the details thereof; and (e) whether the Government proposes to deploy Cell on Wheels in Wayanad Lok Sabha Constituency to improve disaster response and if so, the details thereof? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (DR. PEMMASANI CHANDRA SEKHAR) (a) to (c) The Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency is served by 7,230 mobile Base Transceiver Stations (BTS) of various Telecom Service Providers. Mobile connectivity is currently available across all 252 villages within the constituency, which spans parts of the Wayanad, Kozhikode, and Malappuram districts. To address uncovered villages and locations across the country, including this constituency, the Government, through the Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN), has undertaken projects to provide 4G mobile services in identified areas. Under these schemes—specifically the BSNL 4G Saturation project— total 24 BTS (4G) have already been commissioned in the districts of Wayanad, Kozhikode, and Malappuram to ensure comprehensive coverage in these districts. (d) The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has issued the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)-2020, to be followed by various stakeholders providing telecommunication services in the country, as a measure to strengthen disaster response and facilitate effective mitigation and recovery during disasters and emergencies. (e) In the Kerala License Service Area (LSA), a total of seven (7) Cell-on-Wheels (CoW) units are available with the TSPs and can be deployed anywhere within Kerala, including the Wayanad Lok Sabha Constituency, as required, to support disaster response operations. ***** 1