Digital Revolution: Now all Gram Panchayats to get high-speed broadband service through ‘BharatNet phase-2’

New Delhi, November 14: To provide high-speed broadband service in all Gram Panchayats by March 2019, government launched its second and final phase of BharatNet project. It will be implemented at an outlay of around 34 thousand crore rupees.

In his address, Minister for Communication Manoj Sinha said, BharatNet aims to connect all Gram Panchayats. He said, India is moving towards a digital future and through BharatNet citizen centric services will reach people easily and will bridge the digital divide.

Department of Telecommunications today signed MoUs with states for the implementation of second phase of BharatNet. Under this phase, broadband connectivity will be provided in remaining one and a half lakh Gram Panchayats in the country.

An official release said, Broadband infrastructure on Optical Fibre network has been made available in more than one lakh Gram Panchayats as part of BharatNet Phase-1 and by December this year, all these Panchayats will be operational on the BharatNet infrastructure.

Electronics and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar, Communication Minister Manoj Sinha, Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar Sushil Modi and IT ministers of different states launched it at a function in New Delhi.

Almost 90 thousand installations have been completed and broadband services are expected to commence in 80 thousand Gram Panchayats soon. During the Conference, State Governments will share their plans for leveraging the BharatNet infrastructure.

Telecom Service Providers, who in collaboration with Department of Telecommunications have taken initiative to set up centers in rural areas to demonstrate service delivery on BharatNet infrastructure.