 | |
| Company type | Central Public Sector Undertaking |
|---|---|
| Industry | Broadband |
| Founded | 25 February 2012 |
| Headquarters | New Delhi, |
Area served | India |
Key people |
|
| Services | Internet |
| Owner | Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications, Government of India |
| Website | bbnl |
BharatNet, also known as Bharat Broadband Network Limited (BBNL), is a central public sector undertaking, set up by the Department of Telecommunications, a department under the Ministry of Communications of the Government of India for the establishment, management, and operation of the National Optical Fibre Network to provide a minimum of 100 Mbit/s broadband connectivity to all 250,000-gram panchayats in the country, covering nearly 625,000 villages, by improving the middle layer of nation-wide broadband internet in India to achieve the goal of Digital India.[1][2][3][4]
BharatNet Phase-I, connecting 100,000 village councils covering 300,000 villages, was completed by December 2017.[1] BharatNet Phase-II will be completed by 31 March 2023 to connect the remaining 150,000 village councils covering 325,000 villages in 16 states (July 2021 update).[5] The last mile connectivity, with a total of 700,000 Wi-Fi hotspots to cover all 625,000 villages of India by adding 2 to 5 Wi-Fi hotspots per gram panchayat and a minimum of one Wi-Fi hotspot per village, have been created by connecting high-speed 4G base tower stations of commercial telecom operators to BharatNet, whereby commercially non-viable Wi-Fi hotspots will be subsidized by the union government grant of ₹36 billion (equivalent to ₹50 billion, US$610 million or €620 million in 2023) to sustain the operation.[2][6][7]
BharatNet is the world's largest rural broadband connectivity program,[4] which is built under the Make in India initiative with no involvement of foreign companies.[1][8][7] It is both an enabler and a beneficiary of other key government schemes, such as Digital India,[4] Make in India,[1] the National e-Governance Plan, UMANG, Bharatmala, Sagarmala, Parvatmala, the dedicated freight corridors, industrial corridors, UDAN-RCS and Amrit Bharat Station Scheme.
- ^ a b c d "Only 'Made in India' equipment for BharatNet: Govt.", The Hindu, 12 November 2017.
- ^ a b "Govt to launch second phase of BharatNet, to connect 1.5 lakh panchayats with internet.", The News Minute, 13 November 2017.
- ^ "BBNL may become full-blown telecom services company". Economic times. Kolkata, India. 29 October 2013.
- ^ a b c BharatNet FAQ
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