Over one lakh Gram Panchayats (GP) across the country have now been connected with high speed optical fibre network.

BharatNet network envisages delivery of high-speed broadband services in over 2.5 lakh villages benefitting more than 200 million rural Indians.

Union minister for communications Manoj Sinha said that the vision and the mission of the country is to connect India to realise the goal of prime minister’s Digital India by bridging the digital divide.

Describing the BharatNet as the world’s largest rural broadband, Sinha said that the project will generate massive employment opportunities both direct and indirect in the country in days to come. He underlined the need to complete the second phase of the BharatNet well before the target of March, 2019 to usher in a rural digital revolution by connecting 2,50,000 Gram Panchayats with broadband network.

The minister asked the officials to include and enforce the clause of financial incentive for speedy execution of Phase-2 of the project and said that the infrastructure created under BharatNet will be a national asset, accessible on a non-discriminatory basis to the service providers. The project aims to provide affordable broadband services to citizens and institutions in rural and remote areas, in partnership with States and the private sector.