Lok Sabha Question No. 5333 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-04-05
Subject: Implementation of BharatNet
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Vishnu Dutt Sharma

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5333 TO BE ANSWERED ON 5 TH  APRIL, 2023

## IMPLEMENTATION OF BHARATNET

## 5333.   SHRI VISHNU DATT SHARMA:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has been implementing BharatNet project to provide broadband connectivity to all the 2.5 lakhs Gram Panchayats (GPs) in the country and if so, the details thereof;

(b) the details of the number of GPs that have been provided with broadband connectivity in Madhya Pradesh, especially in the districts of Panna, Chhatarpur and Katni, along with the number of these GPs where the broadband service is active and in usage;

(c) whether  the  Government  will  be  able  to  achieve  the  target  of  providing  broadband connectivity  to  all  the  GPs  in  the  Madhya  Pradesh  and  in  the  country  with  the  current  pace  of implementation by the year 2025; and

(d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMUNICATIONS (SHRI DEVUSINH CHAUHAN)

(a) BharatNet  project  is  being  implemented  in  a  phased  manner  to  provide  broadband connectivity to all the Gram Panchayats (GPs) in the country. As of 06.03.2023, by laying 6,20,888 Km Optical  Fibre  Cable  (OFC),  1,84,699  GPs  have  been  made  Service  Ready  on  OFC  media. Further, 4,703 GPs have been made Service Ready on Satellite media. In total, 1,89,402 GPs have been made Service Ready under the BharatNet project in the country.

(b) The details of the number of GPs that have been provided with broadband connectivity under the BharatNet project and the number of the GPs where the broadband service (Fiber to the Home (FTTH) connections) has been provided and the number of FTTH connections (usage) in Madhya Pradesh, including in the districts of Panna, Chhatarpur and Katni is given in the table below:

|                                                               | Madhya Pradesh   |   Panna |   Chhatarpur |   Katni |
|---------------------------------------------------------------|------------------|---------|--------------|---------|
| Number of GPs provided broadband connectivity (service ready) | 17,813           |     387 |          228 |     115 |
| Number of GPs provided with broadband service by BSNL         | 3,939            |      18 |           25 |       1 |
| Number of FTTH broadband connections provided by BSNL         | 41,804           |     168 |          303 |       6 |

(c) & (d) The scope of BharatNet project has recently been extended up to all inhabited villages beyond GPs in all the states/UTs in the country (including Madhya Pradesh) with the completion timeline as December 2025. In order to fast-track progress under the BharatNet project, following steps have inter-alia been taken:

- i. Strict  monitoring of the project at various levels by Universal Service Obligation Fund, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited/ Bharat Broadband Network Limited with implementing Agencies for speedy roll out of the project.
- ii. Resolving all pending issues in expeditious manner.
- iii. Revised strategy formulated for covering all GPs and villages for connecting on OFC, O&M and utilisation.
- iv. A  pilot  project  for  rolling  out  5  lakh  FTTH  connections  to  rural  households  has  been launched in October 2022 and 1.95 lakh FTTH connections have been provided to rural households.

*****