India's telephones totaled 183. 46 million as on Nov. 30 this year while GSM mobile phones numbered 100 million, according to a press release by the Indian Department of Telecommunications Monday.

The total number of telephones has increased from 125.79 million from the end of 2005 to 183.46 million as on Nov. 30 this year and the number of wireless phones has increased from 68 percent in December 2005 to 78 percent in November 2006, said the release.

Out of 66,822 villages across the country, a total of 36,014 village public telephones have been provided as on Oct. 31 this year. The rest of the villages will be covered well ahead of November 2007.

The release said that 14,183 villages will be covered with telephones using the digital satellite phone terminals technology.

The Indian government has proposed that the target of 250 million phones be reached by the end of 2007.

Source: Xinhua