The Government has taken several important initiatives and reforms to strengthen the Department of Telecommunications in recent years, such as:

• Notification and enforcement of the Telecommunications Act, 2023, which empowers the Department with greater regulatory authority and flexibility to adapt to the evolving telecom landscape;
• The Government is supporting the Department to take lead in research and development of emerging technologies like 5G, 6G, and quantum technologies to keep India at the forefront of technological advancements;
• The Government is facilitating the Department for international collaborations to promote the growth of telecom infrastructure, technology exchange, policy development, and regulatory frameworks, enhancing the country’s position in the global telecom ecosystem and strengthen international relations;
• The Government has undertaken numerous capacity building and training programs for officials of the Department to equip them with requisite and contemporary skills and knowledge to manage the telecom sector effectively and efficiently;
• The Government has implemented various digital initiatives to reduce red tape and improve the efficiency of its operations such as Single Window Clearance for Right of Way permissions, Faster Spectrum Allocation, etc.;
• The Government is encouraging Department to prevent misuse of telecom resources in cybercrime and financial frauds through various measures such as launch of Sanchar Saathi portal, launch of Digital Intelligence platform for sharing of information related to misuse of telecom resources etc.

5G networks have been rolled out in all States/UTs across the country and presently 5G services are available in 779 districts out of 783 districts in the country. 5G services is provided by the Telecom Service Providers based on techno-commercial viability. As on 31st Oct 2024, more than 4.6 lakh Base Transceiver Stations (BTSs) of 5G Technology have been installed in the country.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development, Dr.Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.

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SB/ARJ

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