EXPLAINED | What Is BharatNet Programme? World's Largest Broadband Network To Connect Rural India

World's largest optical fiber-based rural broadband connectivity project is an initiative by the Indian government under its Digital India programme. 

New Delhi: BharatNet is the world's largest optical fiber-based rural broadband connectivity project. Executed by Bharat Broadband Network Limited (BBNL), a special purpose organisation under the Telecom Ministry, the ambitious rural internet access programme is an initiative by the Indian government under its Digital India programme. 

Every administration in the last decade has targeted connecting every village and rural family to high-speed internet. UPA, back in 2011, under the leadership of the Manmohan Singh government launched this programme in 2011 under the name “ National Optical Fiber Network” (NOFN), which the Modi government changed to “BharatNet” after coming into power.  

Using optical fibre, the programme intends to bring broadband connectivity to every nook and cranny of the country. The government intends to provide a minimum of 100 Mbps bandwidth at each Gram Panchayat through BharatNet so that everyone, especially those in rural India, can access online services. This covers services such as e-governance, e-learning, e-banking, e-commerce, and e-health. 

Deadline Dynamics 

The UPA government decided to implement the programme of connecting 2.5 lakh gram panchayats in three phases. It assured to complete the entire project within a span of 2 years, setting 2013 as the deadline of the project. But the incompletion pushed the deadline further to March 2015 for phase I, March 2016 for phase II, and December 2016 for phase III. 

With the NDA came to power in 2014, these deadlines were further extended, completing the first phase of connecting more than one lakh panchayats only in December 2017.

Three Central Public Sector Undertakings, namely BSNL, RailTel, and Powergrid, oversaw the implementation. Phase II, which would connect the remaining 1.5 lakh panchayats, is currently being implemented. The project is expected to be completed by August 2021, according to the authorities. 

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday announced an economic package of Rs 6.28 trillion. This includes Rs19,041 crore in viability gap assistance for the village broadband connectivity scheme and has been approved by the Union cabinet.