Landline Phone Connections in India See Drastic Fall in 5 Years(25.22 million in 2016 against 32.17 million in 2012)

The number of landline telephone connections in the country has shrunk over the last five years, standing at about 25.22 million in 2016 against 32.17 million in 2012, Parliament was informed on Friday March 31,2017

Further, the state-owned telecom operators like BSNL and MTNL -- which account for bulk of the fixed line connections -- are making all-out efforts and "regularly" rolling out attractive schemes to popularise landline phones in the country.

The landline connections stood at 24.34 million as on January 31, 2017.

"MTNL regularly promotes landline and broadband services through print, advertising, FM channels, outdoors and digital media and regularly gives attractive tariffs and offers to customers," Communications Minister Manoj Sinha said in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.

BSNL too has introduced schemes like 'Sunday free calling' and 'free night calling' to popularise its landline connections.

The landline connections have fallen 21.6 percent in the last five years.

Fixed line connections stood at 32.17 million in 2012, and fell each year thereafter to 30.21 million (2013), 28.50 million (2014), 26.59 million (2015), and 25.22 million (2016), according to information shared by the minister.