"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.
Get your daily dose of tech news, reviews, and insights, in under 80 characters on Gadgets 360 Turbo. Connect with fellow tech lovers on our Forum. Follow us on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News for instant updates. Catch all the action on our YouTube channel.