5G reaches 99.9% of India’s districts; Centre details rollout progress in Parliament

India’s 5G rollout has entered its final mile, with the government confirming that the next-generation network is now available across every State and Union Territory and covers 99.9 per cent of districts. Responding to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development Dr Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar said telecom operators have already installed 5.08 lakh 5G base stations across urban and rural regions as of 31 October 2025. The update marks one of the fastest nationwide deployments anywhere in the world and comes alongside a broader government push to strengthen digital connectivity in underserved parts of the country.

5G footprint now covers almost the entire map

According to the Ministry of Communications, India has moved from early-stage pilot launches to near-universal 5G availability in just over two years. Operators have expanded coverage aggressively, using both fresh spectrum and upgraded infrastructure to bring high-speed services to major cities, district headquarters, and increasingly to rural belts.

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The minister said the expansion aligns with the government’s broader digital inclusion agenda, aimed at ensuring that citizens across geographies have equal access to reliable mobile broadband.

Rural and remote regions get priority through targeted schemes

Much of the recent improvement in connectivity - including sharp reductions in call drops in difficult terrain has come from government-led schemes focused on rural and remote districts.

These include:

• BharatNet, which is extending fibre broadband to gram panchayats and villages.
• Mobile connectivity schemes in Left Wing Extremism-affected areas and Aspirational Districts.
• The 4G Saturation project, designed to bring mobile coverage to all villages still lacking a basic signal.

Authorities have also introduced time-bound approvals for installing telecom equipment on street furniture such as lamp posts and bus shelters - a move expected to boost coverage in busy urban corridors.

Nationwide BTS count crosses 31 lakh

While 5G sites account for a rapidly growing share of new infrastructure, India’s total telecom footprint is far larger. The government said more than 31 lakh Base Transceiver Stations across all technologies (2G to 5G) are now operational nationwide.

Both private telecom service providers and state-led entities have been expanding capacity, with site-sharing arrangements helping speed up deployment while keeping costs in check.

India’s 5G ecosystem enters next phase

With coverage nearly complete, the next phase of India’s 5G journey will focus on network quality, enterprise use-cases, and rural digital services. Officials say improving consistency - particularly in high-density markets and extending fibre backhaul will be key priorities in 2026.