India may be the fastest growing telecom market in the world with the lowest tariffs, but latest government data show that the country's record in improving rural tele-density is dismal.
In large and populous states of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Chhattisgarh, Assam and Bihar, rural tele-density was less than 1 per cent of their population on October 31, 2005, according to data complied by the ministry of communications and information technology.
Of the 27 telecom circles that have been scanned by the ministry, 12 have rural-tele-density of between 1 per cent and 5 per cent, 3 between 5 per cent and 10 per cent and only 1 (Kerala) over 10 per cent.
The overall rural tele-density in the country is as low as 1.77 per cent against an urban tele-density of 32.16 per cent and a national average of 10.53 per cent.
The data also suggest that telecom operators (private as well as government-owned) have not done much during the current financial year to improve rural telephony.
More: http://in.rediff.com/money/2005/dec/20tele.htm
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