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By February 28, 2025, 4.69 lakh 5G Base Transceiver Stations (BTS) have been installed across the country. This extension made by Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) was given by Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development Chandra Shekhar Pemmasani in a written reply in the Lok Sabha. He said that 5G service has reached 773 districts of the country. The total number of districts in the country is approximately 793.

Telecom service providers have expanded 5G services across the country and have gone beyond the minimum rollout requirement prescribed in the spectrum procurement notification. The minister said that expansion of mobile services beyond these limits is based on technical and commercial equations.

• Government initiatives to expand 5G services

Spectrum procurement for 5G mobile services.

Reforms in Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR), Bank Guarantee (BG) and interest rates.

Removal of Spectrum Usage Charges (SUC) in spectrum auctions from 2022 onwards.

Simplifying the process for SACFA (Standing Advisory Committee on Radio Frequency Allocation) clearance.

Expediting the approval process for telecom infrastructure by implementing PM Gatishakti Communication Portal and RoW (Right of Way) rules.

Implementing a time-bound process for granting permission to use street furniture for small cell and telecom lines.

Talking about mobile subscribers and tele-density, by December 2024, the number of mobile subscribers in India would reach 1,189.92 million. During this period, urban tele-density was 131.50 percent, while rural tele-density was recorded at 58.22 percent. The total number of wireless subscribers was 1150.66 million.