Question : Global Bids for Broadband Services in Villages

(a) whether the Government proposes to invite global bids to bring broadband services in 3,61,000 villages across sixteen states under Public Private Participation (PPP) mode to be executed under the aegis of BharatNet Project and if so, the details thereof;

(b) the total budget estimate to execute the PPP project and the source of money finalized by the Government to meet the said budget; and

(c) the total number of villages from Tamil Nadu to be covered under this PPP mode of the BhartNet Project?

MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMUNICATIONS
(SHRI DEVUSINH CHAUHAN)

(a) to (b) BharatNet project is being implemented in a phased manner to create network to connect all the Gram Panchayats (GPs) with broadband in the country. The scope of BharatNet has been recently extended upto all inhabited villages beyond GPs. On 30.06.2021, Union Cabinet accorded approval for a revised strategy for implementation of BharatNet through Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model in 16 States of the country covering about 3.61 lakh villages including Gram Panchayats (GPs).

The estimated maximum Viability Gap Funding (VGF) from Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) approved for the above PPP model is Rs. 19,041 crore. The revised implementation strategy includes creation, upgradation, operation, maintenance and utilization of BharatNet by the concessionaire who will be selected by a competitive Global bidding process. Accordingly, Global Bids have been invited for implementation of the same.

(c) The implementation of BharatNet upto GPs in Tamil Nadu is being done through State-led Model. The present approval for PPP model for BharatNet does not include Tamil Nadu State. However, the Cabinet has also accorded in-principle approval for extending broadband to all inhabited villages of the remaining States and Union Territories (UTs), including Tamil Nadu.


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