Mobile revolution yet to cover 56k villages

 India is witnessing a phenomenal growth in the telecom sector, but 56,000 villages in the country are yet to get mobile coverage. As per the 2011 census, there are  6,38,588 villages in India.

The latest report prepared by the Department of Telecom (DoT) said the villages that don’t have mobile coverage are mostly in remote places, hilly regions and Maoist-infested areas.  The Union Cabinet recently assigned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) to install 2,199 towers in nine Maoist-affected states. For other regions, the DoT is planning to provide financial support to telecom service providers to encourage them to set up towers under the Universal Services Obligation Fund (USOF).

The DoT is formulating a new scheme in association with the Centre for Development of Telematics.

It aims at providing telecom network in uncovered areas.

The scheme, which is being finalised, is aimed at encouraging telecom service providers to invest in the rural areas. By end of this year, the DoT hopes to bring these uncovered areas under the mobile network, a senior official told Deccan Herald.

The DoT is now working with major telecom service providers BSNL, Airtel, Reliance, Vodafone, Aircel, Idea and Tata Teleservices to set up infrastructure for mobile coverage in these areas.

The telecom service providers were reluctant to set up towers in the remote areas owing to difficult terrain, extremists’ threats, lack of roads or power and low returns to companies.
  The USOF derives funds from all mobile phone companies that deposit 5 per cent of their adjusted gross revenue every year.

These funds are being used to provide mobile and broad band networks in the rural areas.