India's Telecom Sector Achieves Historic Milestones Under Modi's Leadership

In the Parliament building in New Delhi, Union Minister for Communications and Development of the Northeast Region, Jyotiraditya Scindia, highlighted the remarkable advancements in India's telecom sector on Wednesday. He stated that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, India has established a strong global presence in telecommunications over the past 12 years. Addressing a question regarding BSNL, the minister clarified that privatization is not on the agenda, emphasizing that the organization will always be dedicated to serving the public. He noted that the average cost of data, which was once ₹290, has now plummeted to just ₹8, reflecting a staggering reduction of nearly 97%. The 5G network has reached 99.9% of districts in the country, with 400 million out of 1.2 billion consumers utilizing 5G services. This expansion is among the fastest globally, positioning India as a leader in the digital revolution.

The minister firmly stated that there is no question of BSNL's privatization, reaffirming its commitment to serving the nation. He shared that for the first time in 18 years, BSNL has reported a net profit of ₹280 crore and ₹262 crore in consecutive quarters for the fiscal year 2024-25. Additionally, the number of BSNL consumers has increased from 85 million in June 2024 to 92.7 million. In Rajasthan, the uptime of BTS has improved from 92% to 97%, indicating enhanced service quality.

In response to another query, Scindia provided crucial information about connectivity in border areas, revealing that in 2014, only 42% of border villages had telecom services, which has now surged to 98%. Out of 17,600 villages, 17,222 have been connected. He mentioned that the government has made significant changes to its previous regulations in border areas, including the elimination of the signal fade-out clause, relaxation of distance restrictions, and simplification of right-of-way rules. In Rajasthan, connectivity has been established in 1,285 out of 1,322 border villages, with the remaining villages being covered under the 4G saturation plan.

The minister explained that in line with Prime Minister Modi's vision, the 'Vibrant Village' initiative aims to develop border villages as the 'first villages' of the country. In Uttarakhand, telecom connectivity has been provided to 684 out of 705 villages. He also mentioned that India has successfully developed an indigenous 4G telecom stack, showcasing its technological capabilities on a global scale. Through BSNL, 100,000 indigenous 4G towers have been installed, with plans for an additional 22,000 towers.

The Union Minister stated that India is no longer just a consumer of telecom services but is also progressing towards becoming a leader in equipment manufacturing. He expressed confidence that soon, 5G services will be available across the country through indigenous technology in an even more robust form.