BharatNet Project Progress: Connecting rural India with high-speed internet, fostering inclusive growth and bridging the urban-rural divide.
Objective: Provide unrestricted broadband access to telecom service providers for e-health, e-education, and e-governance in rural areas, empowering rural India.
Target: Initially aimed to connect 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats (GPs).
Phases:
Phase I: Connected 1 lakh GPs by Dec 2017.
Phase II (ongoing): Expanding to 1.5 lakh GPs.
Phase III (ongoing): Integrating 5G, increasing bandwidth, ensuring last-mile connectivity.
Amended BharatNet Program (ABP): Approved in Aug 2023 for optical fiber connectivity to 2.64 lakh GPs in ring topology and to non-GP villages on demand.
ABP Features: Includes IP-MPLS network, 10-year operation and maintenance, power backup, and Remote Fibre Monitoring System (RFMS).
Funding: Primarily through Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN), replacing USOF.
Execution: Executed by Bharat Broadband Network Limited (BBNL). BSNL is Project Management Agency for operation & maintenance.
Current Status (March 2025):
2,18,347 GPs are service-ready.
42.13 lakh route km of Optical Fiber Cable (OFC) laid.
