India on Brink of Universal Village Connectivity, Says Scindia

India is moving closer to achieving near-universal village connectivity, with 4G services reaching almost all villages and 5G networks already available in nearly five lakh villages, Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia informed the Lok Sabha.

Replying in Parliament, Scindia reaffirmed the government’s commitment to strengthening digital infrastructure across the country, including in remote and underserved regions. He said sustained efforts have ensured that nearly every village is now covered under 4G services, marking a major milestone in rural connectivity.

Highlighting the Northeast as a priority region, the minister pointed to targeted initiatives aimed at bridging connectivity gaps in geographically challenging areas. Referring to the Vibrant Village Programme, he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reframed the narrative around border and remote settlements, describing them not as the “last villages” of India but as its “first villages.”

Scindia also underlined the importance of coordination among the Centre, state governments and local authorities, particularly in states such as Arunachal Pradesh. He noted that issues such as Right of Way (RoW) clearances and restrictions in wildlife sanctuaries are being addressed to accelerate infrastructure rollout.

Providing further details, Minister of State for Rural Development and Communications Dr Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani said that out of around 6.40 lakh villages across the country, approximately 6.31 lakh are currently covered by 4G networks operated by private telecom providers as well as BSNL. He added that the remaining villages are being connected under ongoing 4G saturation projects, which are expected to conclude in the coming months.

On 5G deployment, Pemmasani said that nearly five lakh villages now have access to 5G services, placing India among the fastest nations globally in rolling out next-generation telecom infrastructure.

The ministers also highlighted the rapid expansion of the country’s telecom backbone. Between April 2022 and March 2025, a total of 8,50,284 route kilometres of optical fibre cable (OFC) were laid across states and Union Territories to strengthen network capacity. Assam alone accounted for 93,234 kilometres of OFC during this period, significantly enhancing broadband penetration in the Northeast.

Officials further noted improvements in network performance and digital access. Average mobile broadband download speeds increased sharply from 13.67 Mbps in March 2022 to 132 Mbps by December 2025. Data monitored by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) indicates that service providers met prescribed quality benchmarks by late 2025.

The expansion of digital infrastructure has also enabled wider adoption of citizen-facing platforms such as DigiLocker and UMANG, allowing millions to access government services online.

According to officials, the combined growth in telecom infrastructure and digital platforms is expected to strengthen access to education, healthcare, governance and economic opportunities, particularly in rural and remote parts of the country.