TELECOM SCENARIO IN INDIA

•The Indian Telecommunications Sector has grown rapidly in the last few years. While Government reforms and initiatives have
played a very important part, industry has been the major driver of this remarkable growth. India now has the second largest
network in the world, next only to China. India crossed the landmark of one billion telephone subscribers in the year 2015-16, and
the total subscription now stands at 1209.96 million as on 31.08.2017. Out of this, 502.50 million connections are in rural areas
and 707.46 million in the urban areas. Wireless telephony constitutes 98.04% (1186.21 million) of all subscriptions whereas share
of the landline telephony now stands at only 1.96% (23.75 million) at the end of August, 2017. The overall tele-density in India
stands at 93.74% as on August 2017. In rural areas, tele-density was 56.87% and in urban areas it was 173.72% at the end of
August, 2017.
•Internet and broadband penetration
The Government has placed considerable emphasis on growth of internet and broadband in the country as part its Digital India
campaign. Total internet connection in India at the end of June, 2017 stood at 431.21 million, of which 293.82 million was in
urban areas and 137.39 million was in rural areas.