Lok Sabha Question No. 1183 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-02-09
Subject: Features of BharatNet
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: V. Kalanidhi, Kripanath Mallah

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOKSABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1183 TO BE ANSWERED ON 9 TH FEBRUARY, 2022

## FEATURES OF BHARATNET

## 1183.   DR. KALANIDHI VEERASWAMY: SHRI KRIPANATH MALLAH:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) the features of the BharatNet Project;
- (b) the details of the funds sanctioned, allocated and utilized under this project within Tamil Nadu and Assam during the last three years and the current year;
- (c) the details of the number of villages connected with broadband facility under this project within Tamil Nadu and Assam;
- (d) whether  the  Government  has  the  data  of  villages  that  are  still  not  connected  with  this facility within Tamil Nadu and Assam;
- (e) if so, the details thereof; and
- (f) the time by which these are likely to be connected?

## ANSWER

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

(a) BharatNet project is implemented in a phased manner to provide broadband connectivity to  all  Gram  Panchayats  (GPs)  in  the  country.    The  Phase-I  has  been  implemented  by  laying incremental  underground  Optical  Fibre  Cable  (OFC)  in  linear  topology  with  Gigabit  Passive Optical  Network  (GPON)  technology.  The  implementation  of  Phase-II  is  by  connecting  GPs through an optimal mix of media (i.e. OFC, radio and satellite) and by laying new OFC from Block to GPs. The scope of BharatNet has been recently extended up to all inhabited villages beyond GPs in the country, including Tamil Nadu and Assam. The infrastructure created under BharatNet  project  is  a  national  asset,  accessible  on  a  non-discriminatory  basis  to  the  Service Providers.

(b) The details of the funds disbursed by Bharat Broadband Network Limited (the Executing Agency for the Project) under this project within Tamil Nadu and Assam during the last three years and the current year, are given below:

(Rs. in crore)

|   S. No. | State      |   2018-19 |   2019-20 |   2020-21 |   2021-22 (upto 31.12.2021) |
|----------|------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------------------------|
|        1 | Assam      |      31.9 |     10.1  |      9.3  |                        10.1 |
|        2 | Tamil Nadu |       0   |      0.01 |     39.44 |                         0   |

(c) to (f) Phase-I of BharatNet was not taken up in Tamil Nadu as the State Government signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) very late on 31.03.2017 for implementation of BharatNet  project  with  Universal  Service  Obligation  Fund  (USOF)  and  Bharat  Broadband Network Limited (BBNL).

BharatNet  Phase-II  in  Tamil  Nadu  is  being  implemented  by  the  State  Government covering  all  GPs  of  the  State.  The  project  is  being  implemented  under  4  Packages.  For  2 packages comprising 6429 GPs, the work has been awarded. However, the remaining 2 Packages are under litigation and the matter is pending for disposal.

Tamil Nadu has about 17,287 villages (including 12,520 GPs). So far, no GP has been made Service Ready in Tamil Nadu. All the remaining 17,287 villages/GPs have the timeline as August, 2023 for their implementation under the project.

Assam  has  about  27,912  villages  (including  2,664  GPs).  As  of  December,  2021,  1507 GPs have been made Service Ready. The remaining 26,405 villages/GPs  have the timeline as August, 2023 for their implementation under the project.

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