"It is estimated that there are 55,669 villages in the country that do not have mobile coverage," Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.
Asked if even after 20 years of launching the mobile services in the country, there are around 56,000 villages where mobile telephone service has not reached so far, the Minister said "Yes".
Prasad said mobile service to uncovered villages in the country are likely to be provided in a phased manner over a period of five years with funding from universal service obligation fund (USOF).
"Detailed project report consisting of technical framework and cost estimates for Himalayan states (Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Uttarakhand) is under preparation," he said.
The Minister added that providing mobile coverage to 8,621 uncovered villages in the North Eastern region has been included in the comprehensive telecom development plan for the region approved by the government.
For details of the latest launches and news from Samsung, Xiaomi, Realme, OnePlus, Oppo and other companies at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, visit our MWC 2026 hub.
OnePlus 15T Teasers Confirm Larger Battery, Faster Charging Speed and Higher IP Rating
Xiaomi 17T India Launch Timeline Leaked as Firm Gears Up for Xiaomi 17 Ultra's Debut in India
Oppo Find X9 Series to Support Cross-Platform File Sharing With AirDrop via Quick Share