Question : NATIONAL OPTIC FIBRE NETWORK PROJECT

(a) the present status of the National Optic Fibre Network (NOFN) project being executed by the Government to provide broadband connectivity to Gram Panchayats in the country;

(b) the number of Gram Panchayats being covered under the project including Jharkhand and Karnataka, State/UT-wise;

(c) the grant released and utilised for implementation of the project, State/UTwise;

(d) whether the Government has set any target for completion of the project and if so, the details thereof; and

(e) the steps taken by the Government to provide broadband connectivity to all the Gram Panchayats within a stipulated time in the country?

THE MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY & LAW AND JUSTICE (SHRI RAVI SHANKAR PRASAD)

(a) A Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) viz. Bharat Broadband Network Limited (BBNL) has been incorporated on 25.02.2012 for execution of the National Optic Fibre Network project. BBNL is getting the project executed through 3 Central Public Sector Undertakings ( CPSUs) viz. BSNL (Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited), Railtel and PGCIL (Power Grid Corporation of India Limited).

Three Pilot Projects have been completed to cover all Gram Panchayats of Arain Block in Ajmer District (Rajasthan), Panisagar Block in North Tripura District (Tripura), Paravada Block in Vishakhapatnam District (A.P.). As on 15.10.2012, each of the 59 Gram Panchayats in these three Pilot Project Blocks have been provided with 100 Mbps bandwidth.

Survey work has been completed for over 2,30,000 Gram Panchayats(GPs) and technical sanction has been issued for 1,81,000 Gram Panchayats. Procurement orders for Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) and electronic transmission equipment have been finalized. The three Central Public Sector Undertakings (CPSUs) viz. BSNL, Railtel and PGCIL have awarded work in 210 Blocks for trenching and laying of OFC.

(b) The details are enclosed as Annexure-I.

(c) For National Optic Fibre Network (NOFN) Project, Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) has released grant of Rs. 919 Crore to date and the executing agency BBNL has utilized Rs. 463 Crore so far on the project. The project is being implemented by 3 CPSUs (BSNL, Railtel & PGCIL) and they have been assigned various States/UTs wherein the project has to be implemented by them. The project is being implemented in a composite manner by the CPSUs. Therefore, states- wise information on release and utilization is not being maintained by BBNL.

(d) The target for completion of the project is March 2017.

Details of work to be taken up in a phased manner is as under:

 #	50,000 GPs by March 2015 (Phase-I) #	1,00,000 GPs by March 2016 (Phase-II) #	Balance GPs by March 2017 (Phase-III)