Public Accounts Committee asks telecom service providers to improve rural connectivity 

The Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC), headed by Congress general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal, expressing concern over poor connectivity of mobile networks in rural areas, directed India’s leading telecom service providers to share details of steps taken to improve the network. 

In a meeting, the PAC discussed the subject of ‘Levy and regulation of fees, tariffs, user charges, etc. on public infrastructure and other public utilities’. 

“Today, the Public Accounts Committee deliberated over the audit report that flagged the delay of payments by private providers to the Telecommunications Department due to various reasons. We thoroughly examined the issue,” Mr. Venugopal said at the conclusion of the meeting. 

Airtel, Jio, Vodafone, and BSNL were directed by the panel at a meeting on Tuesday (September 2, 2025) to provide details of the number of mobile towers installed in the rural, border, and hill districts. The members pointed out that the problem was pronounced in border districts, especially in the northeastern States, sources said. Connectivity is so poor in villages on the Indo-Nepal border that many residents opted for Nepalese networks, one of the members said. The four service providers were asked by the panel to take more care to expand their networks in such remote districts. 

The members also flagged the lukewarm progress made by the National Broadband Mission. The second phase of the mission began in April this year. The panel asked the Department of Telecommunication to provide a detailed progress report of the mission.