India is one of the largest telecom markets in the world because of its population. While 4G is present almost everywhere, there are some villages where it is still not available. Union telecom minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that 93% of the villages in the country are covered with 4G networks right now. According to a TNN report, there are a total of 6,44,131 villages in the country, out of which around 5,98,951 (93%) villages are covered with 4G networks. There are still 45,180 villages which don't have 4G network coverage. As per the report, the minister said this in a reply in the Lok Sabha.
To provide connectivity services in backward and rural areas, the government is utilising the universal service obligation fund (USOF). It is a fund that the telcos have to contribute to out of their quarterly revenues as a part of their license fee. There is a provision of 4G mobile connectivity in 7,287 aspirational district villages of several states, including Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, and Maharashtra.
