Lok Sabha Question No. 3889 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-17
Subject: Broadband Connections in Odisha
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Chandra Sekhar Sahu, Anubhav Mohanty, Pinaki Misra, Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3889 TO BE ANSWERED ON 17 TH   JULY, 2019

## BROADBAND CONNECTIONS IN ODISHA

## 3889.   SHRI CHANDRA SEKHAR SAHU:

SHRI ANUBHAV MOHANTY:

SHRI PINAKI MISHRA:

SHRI SAPTAGIRI SANKAR ULAKA:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether 1800 Gram Panchayats in Odisha are provided with broadband connections and only 120 of them are working and if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;
- (b) whether the Government is reportedly not paying any attention towards the maintenance and proper functioning of the said connections thereby making them unusable and if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor; and
- (c) the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  restore  broadband  connectivity  and  ensure  its maintenance and stability in all the Gram Panchayats of Odisha?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS, LAW & JUSTICE AND ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI RAVI SHANKAR PRASAD)

- (a) In Odisha, a total of 3992 GPs (including Block Headquarters) have been taken up in Phase-I for  providing  connectivity.  Out  of  them,  a  total  of  3463  GPs  (including  Block  Headquarters)  have been  tested  with  broadband  connections.  At  present,  there  are  1689  GPs  with  active  broadband connections, out of which 206 GPs have commercial connections.
- (b) & (c) For  proper  maintenance  &  functioning  as  well  as  for  providing  stable  broadband connections, the following steps have been taken:
-  Network  is  being  monitored  through  Network  Operating  Centre  (NOC)  and  its  reports  are being monitored on a regular basis.
-  The Digital Communications Commission (DCC) on 13.06.2019 has approved to award the work of maintenance (i.e. O&M of incremental Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) network and First Line Maintenance of equipment and supporting infrastructure) in each of 1.25 lakh GPs of the BharatNet Phase-I, including in Odisha, to CSC e-Governance Services India Limited.

-  The O&M of BharatNet Phase-II network, including in Odisha, is to be carried out mainly through the respective Project Implementation Agencies (PIA).

As  enhanced  utilisation  of  the  network  would  help  in  better  up-  keep/operations  of  the network, the following steps have been taken towards this end:

-  The infrastructure created under BharatNet Project to provide Broadband connections is being utilized  through  Service  Provider(s),  particularly  BSNL  and  CSC  e-Governance  Services India Limited.
-  The  matter  has  already  been  taken  up  with  the  State  Governments  for  taking  Broadband connections by utilizing the BharatNet infrastructure in all the GPs of the country.
-  Fibre to the Home (FTTH) connections are being provided from BharatNet network.
-  As  part  of  this  project,  the  last  mile  connectivity,  through  Wi-Fi  or  any  other  suitable broadband  technology,  is  to  be  provided  at  all  the  GPs  in  the  country.  The  Digital Communications  Commission  (DCC)  on  13.06.2019  has  approved  to  award  the  work  of provisioning of 2 Wi-Fi Access Points (APs) in each of the 90,000 GPs of BharatNet Phase-I in  all  the  States,  including  Odisha,  except  where  Wi-Fi  APs  are  provided  under  Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) schemes.

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