BharatNet project, announced by the Union Cabinet (DoT) in 2011, aims to bring broadband connectivity to all gram panchayats and villages in India. The project is funded by the USOF (Universal Service Obligation Fund). USOF was established to bring internet and mobile connectivity to rural parts of India, where private telecom companies may not invest due to low or negative returns. Until October 31, 2023, a total of Rs 39,630.66 crore has been disbursed from USOF under BharatNet.
If you want to check the current progress of BharatNet, refer to this link - BharatNet Project Status Update.
The maximum amount of money under BharatNet has been spent in Maharashtra (Rs 5,349.82 crore), followed by Uttar Pradesh (Rs 5,029.94 crore). To ensure that the BharatNet project is executed efficiently, the govt set up a special purpose vehicle (SPV) called BBNL (Bharat Broadband Network Limited). Earlier this year, BBNL was merged with BSNL, which is expected to take the efficiency of the BharatNet project as well as the quality of services to go up even further.
Through this, BSNL also gets access to more fiber assets throughout India to offer its FTTH (fiber-to-the-home) services. States such as Jharkhand are still behind when it comes to BharatNet fund disbursement. Compared to states such as Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, only Rs 974.77 crore has been disbursed from USOF towards BharatNet in Jharkhand (meaning only 20% of what has been spent in Maharashtra and UP). This could be mainly due to Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh being large in size and having more rural areas to serve.
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The implementation and success of the BharatNet project would mean that people living in all parts of India would be able to access the internet in a non-discriminatory manner. It will add fuel to the digital economy and give more people access to the opportunities that the digital world presents.
