USOF, Prasar Bharati and ONDC Sign Tripartite MoU to Expand Digital Services in Rural India

The Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) under the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has signed a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Prasar Bharati (under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting) and the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), a Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) initiative of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, aiming to proliferate affordable and accessible digital services across the country.

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Bundling Broadband with OTT and E-commerce

The MoU, signed with Prasar Bharati and the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), aims to leverage BharatNet infrastructure to provide affordable digital services across India.

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Under the agreement, broadband services will be bundled with Over-the-Top (OTT) and e-commerce platforms, addressing connectivity, content, and commerce needs in rural areas, the Ministry of Communications said on Tuesday.

The MoU was signed in the presence of key officials including Neeraj Mittal, Secretary (Telecom), and Niraj Verma, Administrator of USOF, T Koshy, MD and CEO of ONDC, A K Jha, ADG, Platforms, Prasar Bharati, and Sunil Kumar Verma, Joint Secretary of DoT.

Empowering Rural Connectivity and Commerce

The Ministry emphasised USOF’s role in facilitating high-speed broadband and mobile connections in Gram Panchayats (GPs) and villages in the country.

Reportedly, this MoU will enable bundled Prasar Bharati OTT as a service, including linear channels, Live TV, and on-demand content, among end consumers, while USOF will ensure high-speed broadband services in rural and remote areas. Additionally, ONDC will contribute technical expertise to enable digital commerce in products and services.