Introduction
Under the Budget 2025, the Finance Minister announced plans to provide broadband connectivity to all government secondary schools and rural primary health centers under the BharatNet Project. This aims to alleviate the digital divide and leverage the new technical aspects of education to students and connect PHC’s operating in remote areas.
It was launched as the National Optical Fibre Network in October 2011 and was renamed as Bharat Net Project in 2015. This initiative stands as the largest rural broadband connectivity program in the world, utilizing Optical Fiber technology. It is a flagship mission spearheaded by Bharat Broadband Network Ltd. (BBNL), which is crucial in expanding digital infrastructure across rural regions.BBNL functions as a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) established by the Government of India under the Companies Act of 1956. The project is being executed under the supervision of the Department of Telecommunication, which operates within the Ministry of Communications. A key aspect of this initiative involves modifying the implementation strategy and engaging Village Level Entrepreneurs (Udyamis) to facilitate fiber connections at the last mile. This approach is expected to significantly accelerate the connectivity process over the next 2.5 years, ensuring wider and faster internet access in remote areas.The program is financially supported by the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF).
The primary objective of the project is to compete with private telecom providers like Jio and Airtel by leveraging its strong presence in rural areas, where these private companies have a limited footprint. BharatNet aims to attract users by offering high-quality internet services. The initiative seeks to connect all 6,40,000 villages across India with high-speed broadband access. Additionally, it plans to extend connectivity to over 2,50,000 gram panchayats nationwide, ensuring seamless digital access. The government aims to deliver a minimum of 100 Mbps bandwidth at each gram panchayat, making online services accessible, particularly to rural populations. It aims to enable access providers like mobile operators, Internet service providers, Cable TV operators, content providers to launch various services such as applications like e-health, e-education and e-governance in rural and remote areas.
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