2.6L crore spent, but BSNL still missing in rural India

Jaipur: The Union govt spent over Rs 2.6 lakh crore on reviving and expanding BSNL between 2019 and 2025, the ministry of communications told parliament, yet rural and tribal areas continue to grapple with patchy mobile and internet connectivity.The disclosure came in response to a question from Banswara MP Rajkumar Roat, who sought details on funding since 2014, how the money was used, district-wise 4G and 5G rollout, and a timeline for covering the remaining rural gaps.In its reply, govt said BSNL got a Rs 69,000 crore revival package in 2019, followed by a much bigger Rs 1.64 lakh crore package in 2022. In 2023, the notional value of 4G and 5G spectrum allocated to the company was pegged at about Rs 89,000 crore. Another Rs 6,982 crore was cleared in 2025 to expand 4G services.The govt said by March 21, 2026, nearly 98,000 4G sites had been installed across India, with more than 96,000 already operational and ready for 5G upgrades.But the reply gave no district-wise or region-wise breakup, leaving the central question hanging—where exactly are these towers?Roat alleged that BSNL was allowed to weaken over the years, opening the door for private telecom players such as Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea."The minimum recharge today is around Rs 250. For a family with three phones, that becomes Rs 750 a month. For poor families, this is a big burden. It feels like daylight robbery," he said. He also questioned what the massive public spending had achieved. "After investing such huge taxpayers' money, why has BSNL virtually disappeared from rural areas? Where are its outlets?" he asked.Referring to his constituency, Roat said many interior parts of Banswara and Dungarpur still do not have proper network coverage, calling it "a clear violation of the right to equality." The MP added that the problem is becoming more serious as welfare delivery moves online through schemes such as PM-Kisan Nidhi Yojana, Ayushman Bharat and VB G RAM G. "If internet access itself is expensive and unreliable, how are rural families expected to benefit from these schemes?" he asked.Roat also warned that weak connectivity and rising data costs could deepen the rural digital divide. "At a time when the world is moving towards AI-driven systems, lack of affordable and reliable internet will keep rural families out of this transformation," he further said.