Over 2 Lakh Gram Panchayats to Get Broadband Connectivity Under BharatNet Project

More than two lakh gram panchayats have been made service-ready under the BharatNet project, which aims to provide affordable high-speed internet access to rural India, Minister of State for Panchayati Raj SP Singh Baghel informed the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

In a written reply, Baghel stated that the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is implementing the BharatNet project in phases to ensure broadband connectivity across all gram panchayats. "The infrastructure created under the BharatNet project is a national asset, accessible without discrimination to service providers. It can be utilised to provide broadband services such as Fibre to the Home (FTTH) connections, leased lines, dark fibre, backhaul to mobile towers, etc.," the minister explained.

As of February 2025, a total of 2,14,323 gram panchayats have been equipped with broadband connectivity under the initiative. To further enhance the network, the Union Cabinet has approved the Amended BharatNet Program (ABP) under the "design, build, operate and maintain" (DBOM) model. This revised program focuses on upgrading BharatNet Phase-I and Phase-II infrastructure, establishing a network in 42,000 gram panchayats that are yet to become service-ready, and ensuring operation and maintenance for the next decade.

Additionally, the government has tasked Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) with providing 1.50 crore FTTH connections to households over the next five years. "The timeline for completion of the ABP is March 2027," Baghel added.