India's BTS count surges to 29.43 lakh in November 2024

The Indian telecom sector's total base transceiver station (BTS) count was 29.43 lakh in November 2024, according to Jyotiraditya Scindia, the minister of communications. The overall number of BTS has grown from 6.49 lakh in March 2014 to 29.43 lakh in November 2024. The minister added that as of August 2024, there were 116.38 crore mobile subscribers in India, up from 90.45 crore in March 2014. By June 2024, there were 96.96 crore internet users, up from 25.15 crore in March 2014. 

There are already over 4,60,000 5G BTS in the nation. Due to Jio's and Airtel's quick deployment, this was accomplished in roughly two years. Efforts have also been undertaken to improve connectivity in the nation's rural areas. According to Scindia, "As of September 2024, out of 6,44,131 villages in the country (village data as per Registrar General of India), 6,22,840 villages are covered with mobile connectivity." 

The 4G saturation initiative, which is being managed by the Indian government, aims to provide rural areas of the country with high-speed 4G access. The government has approved Rs 30,620 crore for this. The total number of BTS added under the 4G saturation project is 17,901. In addition, the government has approved Rs 1,39,579 crore to support the revised BharatNet program.

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is currently in charge of the BharatNet project. Recent  Bharat Broadband Network Limited (BBNL) and BSNL merger was done for BBNL, which is in charge of overseeing the BharatNet project, to benefit from BSNL's local knowledge and  expertise. Launched in 2011, the BharatNet Project envisions creating an extensive optical fibre network across 6 lakh villages in India. This monumental effort involves laying down thousands of kilometers of fibre optic cables, establishing a significant digital highway that bridges the gap between urban and rural India.

In addition to all of this, the government is working on numerous other programs to improve connection in places where it is still considered a luxury. Connectivity is being boosted across the nation through a number of initiatives, such as the LWE Phase-2, the 502 aspirational districts, the 7287 aspirational districts, and others.

To finance these connectivity initiatives, the government is enlisting the aid of the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF), which is now known as Digital Bharat Nidhi (DNB). In 2023,the government has set aside Rs 1,39,579 crore for the Bharat Net's now ongoing phase, which will increase connectivity throughout the nation's outlying regions. Bharat Net aimed to expand from the present 1.94 lakh connected villages to 6.40 lakh villages throughout the nation in two years. 

The extension project was chosen following the success of a pilot operation in four regions. Within eight months, the programme was expanded to 60,000 communities spread over the majority of the states in the nation. A Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) formed by the merging of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and Bharat Broadband Network Limited (BBNL) is responsible for carrying out the Bharat Net project.

During the trial project, almost 1,700 towers were fiberized, and online training is offered for installing and maintaining fibre. The capital cost of the project is covered by the government, and any damage to the optical fibre sends a robotic message to the network operation centre. A projected 2.50 lakh employment would be created by the project.