Telecom Services in Assam

Submitted by pbhagawati on Mon, 01/05/2009 - 16:40

 

 

Assam Telecom Circle, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is the largest telecom operator in Assam which was formed in 1987, providing comprehensive range of telecom services in the State. BSNL, Assam Circle is the only service provider, making focused efforts and planned initiative to bridge the rural-urban Digital Divider ICT sector. BSNL is reaching the nook and corner of Assam with focused development thrust. At present 605 telephone exchanges functioning in the State.

 

It is evident from status of telecom facilities in Assam shown in the table below that the overall tele-density (Telephone per 100 of population) of the State as on March 2010 was 29.99 as against the national average of 52.74. Disaggregated figures however show that the telecom penetration has been uneven across the urban and rural segments. While the urban tele-density of Assam stood at 96.54, the rural tele-density was only 18.49. However, the tele-density of urban and rural segments of Assam was marginally below the national average (urban-119.45 and rural-24.31).

 

Telecom Facilities in Assam:

 

Sl. No.

Item

2007-2008

2008-2009

2009-2010

1.

Number of Telecom District (S.S.A.)

-

7

7

2.

Number of Telephone Exchanges

-

604

605

3.

Direct Exchange Line

1348990

1324128

1449647

4.

Rural Telephone Connections

443150

436504

481092

5.

Village Public Telephone (VPTs)

22407 (89.2%)

23369 (93.0%)

23992 (95.49)

6.

Total Telephones

4343409

6161988

9064392

A) Wire line Phones=Fixed DELs

430310

351030

308339

Ai) PSU Operators

430310

351022

307725

Aii) Private Operators

0

8

614

B) Wireless Phones (GSM+CDMA)

3913099

5810958

8756053

Bi) PSUs Operators

918680

973106

1141922

Bii) Private Operators

2994419

4837852

7614131

7.

Tele-density

(Phones Per 100 of Persons)

14.74

Urban - 76.30

Rural - 4.44

20.65

Urban - 86.98

Rural - 9.36

29.99

Urban - 96.54

Rural - 18.49

8.

Public Call Offices

34518

33862

33862

 

The subscriber base of basic services provided by the BSNL in the state was 1449647 as on March 2010 which included fixed line subscribers, WLL subscribers and CMTS subscribers, Out of the total BSNL subscribers, 481092 (33.19 percent) were rural. The number of telephone connections as on March 2010 was more than 9.0 percent below than that of Mach 2009. As on March 2009, the number of telephone subscriber was 1324128.

 

In the mobile segment there has been a boom in the State, as in the rest of the country. The mobile subscriber figures reached above 87 lakh as on March 2010 of which was about 50 percent above the figure of March 2009. While BSNL alone provides 13 percent of the total mobile connections in the State the private mobile service operators’ share 87 percent or more than 76 lakh mobile connection during the same period. Bharati Televentures (Airtel), Disnet Wireless (Aircel), Reliance Tata Indicom and Vodaphone are the main private mobile service providers in Assam.

 

BSNL has covered 23992 villages or 95 percent of the total inhabited villages of Assam by providing Village Public Telephones (VPTs) as on March 2010.

 

Source: Economic Survey of Assam 2010-11

            Statistical Handbook Assam 2010