New data released by telecom regulator Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) shows that 98.5% of the inhabited villages in the country had village public telephone (VPT) connections as of the end of the quarter ended March 31, 2011.

There are 5,93,731 inhabited villages in India as per the Census 2001. At the end of March, 2011, 98.5% of the total inhabited villages in India were connected to phone networks through VPTs, as per the TRAI report.

The number of VPTs increased from 5.81 lakh in December, 2010, to 5.85 lakh as of the quarter ended March, 2011.

Himachal Pradesh has the highest rural teledensity of 70.23 (connections per 100 people), followed by Punjab (56.92), Kerala (53.25), Haryana (51.23) and Tamil Nadu (48.92, including Chennai). Bihar continues to have the lowest rural teledensity of 21.86, followed by Madhya Pradesh (22.92).

Agreements were signed with BSNL and six private basic service operators (PBSOs) in March, 2003, for the operation and maintenance of existing VPTs in identified revenue villages in the country as per Census 1991.

In addition, subsidy support is also admissible for the VPTs installed in additional revenue villages, as per Census 2001. The rural wireless subscriber base in the country increased from 250.89 million at the end of December, 2010, to 273.54 million at the end of the March quarter.

Rural subscriptions grew at the rate of 9.03% during the quarter ended March, 2011, as against 10.49% in the quarter ended December, 2010.

The share of rural wireless subscriptions increased to 33.70% of total wireless subscriptions in the country during the reporting period.

Idea continues to be the service provider with the highest proportion of rural subscribers to its total subscriber base and this proportion rose to 51.62% at the  end of  the  March quarter  from 49.73%  at the end of  December, 2010.