BharatNet Project
Description
BharatNet: Bridging the Digital Divide in India's
Villages Through Rural Broadband Connectivity
Description: "Explore the BharatNet project, a key component of Digital India, connecting rural India to high-speed internet, fostering innovation, and empowering communities.
National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN) world’s largest rural broadband connectivity programme was launched in October 2011 and was renamed as Bharat Net Project in 2015.
About
• It is the using Optical Fiber. And also a flagship mission implemented by Bharat Broadband Network Ltd. (BBNL).
• BBNL is a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) set up by the Government of India under the Companies Act, 1956.
• It is being implemented by the Department of Telecommunication under the Ministry of Communications.
• The project involves employing Village Level Entrepreneurs (Udyamis) to provide fiber connections to the last mile, thereby accelerating the connectivity process over the next 2.5 years.
• It is financed by the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF)
Objective:
• The project aims to compete with private operators by leveraging its presence in rural areas where these private operators are less prominent.
• The quality of service provided is expected to play a role in attracting users.
• It aims to connect all 640,000 villages across India with high-speed internet access.
• It seeks to bring broadband internet connectivity to each of the more than 2.5 lakh gram panchayats across the country.
• The government intends to provide a minimum of 100 Mbps bandwidth at each Gram Panchayat through BharatNet so that everyone, especially those in rural India, can access online services.
Significance of BharatNet
• BharatNet is an important part of the Digital India initiative, which aims to transform India into a knowledge-based economy and society by bridging the digital divide between urban and rural areas and enhances the social and economic inclusion of rural citizens.
• It provides affordable and reliable broadband access to rural households, businesses, institutions, and government offices. It enables them to access information, opportunities, markets, and services that were previously inaccessible or costly.
• It creates a platform for innovation and entrepreneurship in rural areas.
• It supports the development of local solutions for local problems and fosters a culture of creativity and collaboration among rural communities.
• It generates employment and income opportunities for rural youth and women. Also, It creates a demand for skilled manpower for network installation, operation, maintenance, and service delivery.
• It also empowers rural women to participate in economic activities and decision-making processes.
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