In a written reply to Lok Sabha, Union Communication Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said this rapid expansion reflects the country’s steady progress in strengthening digital infrastructure.
The Government also confirmed significant improvement in rural connectivity under the BharatNet project, which aims to bring high-speed broadband to villages.
As of October 2025, 2.14 lakh Gram Panchayats are service-ready, and more than 13.66 lakh Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) connections have already been provided, the minister said.
Officials said that these developments are helping bridge the urban-rural digital gap by enabling services such as online education, telemedicine and digital payments in remote locations.
To further close the digital divide, the Centre is undertaking several initiatives using the Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN).
These include expanding BharatNet to more villages, providing mobile connectivity in Left Wing Extremism–affected regions, improving telecom access in aspirational districts, and enhancing mobile services in remote border areas.
“The Government is also implementing the 4G Saturation Scheme to ensure that every uncovered village receives 4G connectivity,” Scindia mentioned.
In Rajasthan, telecom expansion has moved forward on two tracks -- 5G rollout and rural mobile coverage.
The district-wise status of 5G deployment has been submitted by Telecom Service Providers to the Government.
Alongside this, 1,409 mobile towers equipped with 4G technology have been installed under DBN-funded schemes, delivering mobile services to 1,684 rural villages across the state.
The Ministry said these combined efforts are aimed at ensuring that digital services reach every citizen, regardless of geography, and that India moves closer to universal high-speed connectivity.
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