New Delhi, 20 December: Union Communications Minister Ashwini Vaishnav, while initiating the discussion on the Telecommunication Bill 2023 in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, said that this bill is a big promoter of the digital era of today’s India.
Vaishnav said that by repealing the Indian Telegraph Act, the colonial bill of 1885, the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has brought a new bill in accordance with the aspirations of today’s India as per the needs and economy of today.
He said that this bill is a great promoter of the digital era of today’s India.
Vaishnav said that in the last nine and a half years, such a revolution of Digital India has taken place in India, which has brought a huge change in the minds and lives of the people of the country. Telecom has spread widely in nine and a half years.
He stated that in 2014, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi took charge of the country, there were only 6.25 lakh telecom towers (BTS) in the country, today there are more than 25 lakh telecom towers. The number of people taking broadband (Internet) services was only 1.5 crore in 2014, which is more than 85 crore today. India has had the fastest rollout of 5G in the world, with more than 4 lakh 5G towers installed in the country in just 14 months.
He said that due to the reforms and simplification of the process in the Modi government, 85 percent tower clearance (permission) is being given at the press of a button i.e. in zero time.
Regarding the tower and other permissions, he said that while nine and a half years ago it took an average of 230 days, today the right of way is obtained in an average of 10 days.
Vaishnav said that the communication sector has emerged as an important sector today. This sector brings tremendous momentum to the country’s economy. Today, this bill for structural reforms has been presented in the House to give a new impetus to this sector.
He said that there was a proposal to repeal three bills but recently one bill has already been repealed through the Repealing Act. The bill is tabled for discussion with this amendment.
