Bihar’s urban teledensity second best in country

PATNA: Bihar stood second in the country in terms of urban teledensity after Kerala in 2017-18. However, rural teledensity in Bihar was second lowest among major states in the country during this period with 44 connections per 100 people, according to the state’s Economic Survey report tabled in the state assembly on Monday.
The survey stated that Bihar witnessed an increase in its teledensity from 54 in 2016 to 63 in 2018.Teledensity refers to the number of telephone per 100 people.
The survey stated that 44,900 villages were covered under tele connectivity of BSNL and 35 new Wi-Fi hotspots were set up in the state. The total coverage is 66% in terms of area, 85% in terms of population and 100% in terms of national highway, state highway and rail routes. Altogether 68.5% of total villages in state have been covered by the BSNL.
With regard to infrastructure development for the telecom network, the survey has stated that 1,118 landline exchanges and 896 digital subscriber line access multiplexers (DSLAM) for broadband services are working in Bihar as on date.
The survey further stated that 11 Wi-Fi hotspots are working and 99 more are planned at tourist and pilgrimage locations. “The state government has initiated high-speed Fiber to Home (FTH) broadband connection project in collaboration with BSNL for community service centre and e-governance. It is initially targeted to cover 2,000 gram panchayats across Bihar under Phase-I and the remaining 3,200 gram panchayats under Phase-II of the project,” the report said.