Major Connectivity Achievements
- 5G services launched across all States/UTs, covering 99.9% of districts and 85% of the population.
- 5.08 lakh 5G Base Transceiver Stations installed nationwide.
- Optical Fiber Cable length expanded from 19.35 lakh route km (2019) to 42.36 lakh route km, enabling 2,14,843 Gram Panchayats with broadband connectivity.
- Tele-density rose from 75.23% (2014) to 86.65% in September 2025, with rural telephone connections growing 42.9%.
- Internet connections surpassed 100 crore, up from 25.15 crore in March 2014, while broadband connections increased to 99.56 crore.
- Median mobile broadband speed increased to 131.47 Mbps, and fixed broadband speed to 60.34 Mbps.
Technological Self-Reliance and Indigenous Innovations
India became only the fifth country globally to develop its indigenous 4G stack, in collaboration with C-DOT, Tejas Networks, and TCS, deployed by BSNL. Additionally, the Bharat 6G Mission made significant strides, advancing indigenous 6G research and development.
Telecom reforms, under the Telecommunications Act, 2023, emphasized ease of doing business, streamlined compliance, and accelerated deployment of network infrastructure, including Right of Way (RoW) approvals, now reduced from 448 days to 34 days on average.
Citizen-Centric Digital Initiatives
- Sanchar Saathi Portal: Over 22 crore visitors; available in 21 languages.
- Sanchar Saathi Mobile App: 1.5 crore downloads; supports reporting fraudulent calls and blocking lost/stolen devices.
- Device Setu – ICDR: Registration and IMEI certificate issuance for over 29.43 crore devices.
- Financial Fraud Risk Indicator (FRI): Prevented financial loss of ₹450 crore by alerting banks and UPI providers about 70 lakh high-risk transactions.
- Over 26 lakh lost/stolen handsets traced, 7.3 lakh returned to owners.
Telecom Infrastructure and Disaster Management
DoT ensured resilient telecom operations during floods, cloudbursts, cyclones, and emergency operations, demonstrating robust network preparedness. Mobile Base Transceiver Stations numbered 31.44 lakh, and mobile towers reached 8.43 lakh.
Mapping telecom assets on the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan platform has optimized resource allocation and accelerated new infrastructure deployments, including 5G rollout.
Digital Governance and Ease of Doing Business
- 114 compliances identified for removal; 110 addressed.
- Pro Tem Security Certification validity extended to two years, with 102 certificates issued.
- Reduction of up to 95% in security testing fees for Highly Specialized Equipment and end-of-life products.
- Implementation of Telecommunications (Telecom Cyber Security) Amendment Rules, 2025, strengthening cybersecurity and subscriber protection.
