(a) the present status of the BharatNet Project;
(b) whether all Gram Panchayats and post offices of all the States have been connected with optical fibre;
(c) if not, the number of Gram Panchayats that have not yet been connected with optical fibre, State/UT-wise;
(d) the funds allocated/utilised thereunder, State/UT-wise; and
(e) the time by which the remaining areas are likely to be connected with optical fibre?
MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS, LAW & JUSTICE AND
ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
(SHRI RAVI SHANKAR PRASAD)
(a) to (e) A statement is laid on the Table of the House.
STATEMENT TO BE LAID ON THE TABLE OF LOK SABHA IN RESPECT OF PARTS (a) to (e) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *50 FOR 20TH NOVEMBER, 2019 ON “BHARATNET PROJECT”.
(a) & (b) BharatNet project is being implemented in a phased manner to provide broadband connectivity to all the Gram Panchayats (approx. 2,50,000) in the country. As on 07.11.2019, by laying 3,80,988 km Optical Fibre Cable (OFC), a total of 1,40,668 Gram Panchayats (GPs) have been connected, out of which 1,27,393 GPs have been made Service Ready. In addition, 983 GPs have been provided connectivity through satellite media. As part of BharatNet project, the Last Mile connectivity, through Wi-Fi or any other suitable broadband access technology, is funded from USOF for two Wi-Fi Access points (hotspots) per GP. As of now, Wi-Fi hotspots have been installed in 44,786 GPs.
The connectivity to rural Post Offices is not covered in BharatNet scheme. However, 32 Post Offices are utilizing BharatNet connectivity through Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited.
(c) The number of Gram Panchayats that have not yet been connected with optical fibre, State/UT wise is given in Annexure-I.
(d) Funds for the project are allocated as a whole and not State/Union Territory-wise. A lump sum of Rs. 20889 crore has been allocated and disbursed from Universal Service Obligation Fund to Bharat Broadband Network Limited for execution of BharatNet project.The details of State/UT wise fund disbursement/utilization under BharatNet Project are at Annexure-II.
(e) The BharatNet project is under implementation and a total of 2 lakh GPs are targeted to be completed by March 2020.