The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has called upon internet service providers (ISPs) to actively utilise the BharatNet infrastructure in an effort to bridge the digital divide in India's rural landscape. This renewed appeal comes as the government accelerates efforts under the amended BharatNet programme, with a projected outlay of Rs 1.5 lakh crore.
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BharatNet Project
Speaking at an industry conference on Tuesday, Niraj Verma, Administrator of Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN), emphasised the significant opportunity for stakeholders to contribute to the nationwide connectivity drive, according to an ETTelecom report.
"We at DBN (Digital Bharat Nidhi) are implementing the amended BharatNet project with an outlay of nearly Rs 1.5 lakh crore, which aims to connect nearly 2.6 lakh gram panchayats. I feel that it is a great opportunity for various stakeholders, including ISPs, to be part of this huge exercise taken by the government of India to bridge the digital divide," Verma was quoted as saying in the report.
BharatNet, previously known as the National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN), was launched in 2011 and rebranded in 2015. The project aims to provide equitable broadband access to all telecom operators, targeting connectivity for 6.5 lakh villages. Despite its ambitious goals, the project has encountered multiple execution challenges across its phases.
Revised Implementation Strategy
Verma acknowledged the limitations of the earlier phases. "We have tried twice, Bharat Net Phase 1 and Phase 2, and we did not succeed to that extent due to various reasons. In Phase 1, we tried to connect 1.2 lakh villages, and then in Phase 2, tenders were awarded for eight states. The results had been mixed," he said, as mentioned in the report.
Under Phase 3, the government has adopted a revised implementation model. Contracts have been awarded in 12 packages covering major states such as Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Bihar, and West Bengal. Public sector unit BSNL has awarded contracts to firms including Polycab, ITI Limited, Sterlite Technologies, Telecommunications Consultants of India Limited (TCIL), and Pratap Technocrats, among others.
As of December 2024, the Ministry of Communications reported that over 6.92 lakh kilometres of optical fibre cable (OFC) had been laid, with 2.09 lakh gram panchayats service-ready via OFC and an additional 5,032 panchayats connected via satellite.
The top official reportedly noted that nearly 2.12 lakh villages are service-ready today, cautioning that only 50,000 gram panchayats have an uptime of over 98 percent under BharatNet.
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Shift from Deployment to Network Utilisation
Verma indicated a strategic pivot from infrastructure deployment to network utilisation, with a focus on reliability and service availability. "We have now changed our focus from implementing the project to utilisation of the network and in amended BharatNet, it is a little different in the sense that we are giving the states as packages to EPC contractors, and we have a referee which is in the form of independent engineers. The idea is to get the services from this EPC contractor and a network with 98 percent uptime," he explained.
Opportunities for ISPs as BharatNet Udyamis
The official also highlighted that a stable network offers "exciting opportunities" for wireline ISPs. These include leasing bandwidth or dark fibre, providing backhaul for mobile towers, or delivering rural broadband services. ISPs can also participate as BharatNet Udyamis (BNUs) under BSNL, contributing to last-mile connectivity.
"We are engaging BharatNet Udyamis (entrepreneurs) for providing the connections, and anyone, including ISPs, can participate as BNUs under BSNL. ISPs can also have a look at the network that will come up and how they would like to provide services. We are ready to look at any alternate model where our utilisation goes up," the official was quoted as saying.
Vision for Rural Digital Infrastructure
The Centre had earlier approved the merger of Bharat Broadband Network Limited (BBNL) with BSNL in July 2022 to streamline execution. In August 2023, the Amended BharatNet Programme was cleared to extend fibre connectivity to the remaining 3.8 lakh villages on a demand-driven basis.
Despite past hurdles, the government is keen to position BharatNet as the backbone of rural digital infrastructure, with a renewed focus on collaboration, uptime, and service delivery.
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