As of April 2024, 95.15 percent of villages in India have access to the internet with 3G/4G mobile connectivity, the Ministry of Communications (MoC) said in a statement on Friday. The government emphasised that Universal Connectivity and Digital India initiatives are reaching all areas, including tier-2 and tier-3 cities and villages.
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Digital India Initiative
Under the Digital India Initiative, the government said it has undertaken several initiatives to connect not only metros but also tier-2 and tier-3 cities, as well as rural and remote areas. The Ministry highlighted that the total number of internet subscribers increased from 251.59 million as of March 2014 to 954.40 million in March 2024.
As of March 2024, out of a total of 954.40 million internet subscribers in India, there are 398.35 million rural internet subscribers. Furthermore, as of April 2024, out of 644,131 villages in the country (as per data from the Registrar General of India), 612,952 villages have 3G/4G mobile connectivity. Thus, 95.15 percent of villages have access to the internet, the Communications Ministry explained.
BharatNet Project
Highlighting the BharatNet project, which aims to connect all Gram Panchayats (GPs) in the country with optical fiber cable (OFC) connectivity to provide broadband services to rural households, the Ministry stated that out of a total of 222,000 Gram Panchayats envisioned under the two phases of BharatNet, 213,000 have been made service-ready.
Expansion of Rural Internet Access
The amended BharatNet program aims to provide optical fiber connectivity to 42,000 uncovered GPs and the remaining 384,000 villages on a demand basis, as well as to provide 15 million rural home fiber connections, the government said.
"A total of 35,680 uncovered villages/habitations in the country are being covered under the ongoing USOF schemes. All these villages/habitations are located in rural, remote, inaccessible areas and are in difficult terrain such as hilly regions and dense forests. Under various USOF-funded schemes, around 9,000 uncovered villages have been provided with 4G connectivity, at an expenditure of about 11,000 crore," it said.
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Improvements in Broadband Speed
The Ministry noted that the last 10 years have seen a vast expansion of the telecom network covering all corners of Bharat, including tier-2/3 cities and villages. This expansion has resulted in a greater definition of broadband speed, with speeds greater than or equal to 2 Mbps, as well as an increase in the average download speed to 105.85 Mbps as of March 31, 2024, according to Ookla Speed Test.
Data Costs
The Ministry also highlighted the decrease in average data cost per GB to Rs 9.18 as of March 31, 2024, from Rs 268.97 as of March 31, 2014, underscoring the affordability of services. This has also led to an increase in average data consumption from 0.26 GB in 2014 to 20.27 GB in 2024.
