BharatNet, a connectivity initiative from the central government of India aims to empower people in the rural and backward areas with high-speed broadband connectivity. BSNL (Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited) is now overseeing this project's implementation after merging with BBNL (Bharat Broadband Network Limited). To execute this project, union telecom minister, Jyotiraditya Scindia said that the government is investing about $16.1 billion.
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Scindia said, "....$16.1 billion is going to be invested in this broadband network. It will be the equivalent of the bharatmala highway, where we have a cement and concrete physical highway across the length and breadth of India. We are today, under the prime minister's leadership, building a digital highway and that digital highway will allow every single citizen across the length and breadth of our country, to be connected, with not only the rest of India, but to be connected with the world."
BharatNet project has already connected more than 2,14,000 gram panchayats in the country. To enable this connectivity, around 6.9 lakh+ km of optical fiber cable (OFC) has been deployed. There are now more than 12 lakh FTTH (fiber-to-the-home) connections active under this initative. To add to this, there are more than a lakh Wi-Fi hotspots lighting up the rural India, said the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
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With the BharatNet project, the government wants to eradicate digital divide in the country. The private telecom companies and internet service providers (ISPs) do not invest aggressively in the rural India due to low returns. Thus, the government is building the connectivity for infrastructure for the rural and backward India that will allow every citizen of the country to access the opportunities that digital world presents. With BSNL's experience, BharatNet project will definitely achieve positive results.
