Lok Sabha Question No. 2703 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-03-10
Subject: National Optical Fibre Network
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Sumalatha Ambareesh, B. Y. Raghavendra, Nalin Kumar Kateel

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2703 TO BE ANSWERED ON 10 TH  MARCH, 2021

## NATIONAL OPTICAL FIBRE NETWORK

2703.   SHRIMATI SUMALATHA AMBAREESH: SHRI B.Y. RAGHAVENDRA: SHRI NALIN KUMAR KATEEL:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) the  details  of  length  of  optical  fibre  laid  down  so  far  under  the  National  Optical  Fibre  Network (NOFN) Project and the time by which the target set thereunder will be achieved by the Government;
- (b) the number of Gram Panchayats connected with broadband and WiFi hotspots so far under the said project, State/UT-wise including Karnataka;
- (c) the  number of Gram Panchayats in Karnataka that are not yet connected  under the said project, district-wise?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMUNICATIONS, EDUCATION AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI SANJAY DHOTRE)

(a) BharatNet project (earlier known as National Optical Fiber Network)  is being implemented in a phased manner to provide broadband connectivity to all the  Gram Panchayats (approx. 2,50,000) in the country, including Karnataka.  As on 26.02.2021, a total of 5,05,462 km Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) has been laid under this project in the country.

The  BharatNet  project  was  envisaged  to  be  completed  by  August  2021.However,  this  time  will now be extended as the pace of completion is affected by lockdown and restrictions on movement imposed by the various Governments due to COVID-19.

- (b) The State/UT-wise details are given in Annexure-I .
- (c) In Karnataka, only 4 Gram Panchayats are pending in Kalburgi (Gulbarga) District.

## Annexure-I

Annexure referred to in Part (b) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 2703 for answer on 10.03.2021 State/UT-wise Status of Service Ready GPs (Including Block Headquarters) under BharatNet and GPs with Wi-Fi hotspots

| S. No.   | State/UT                           |   Service Ready GPs (Including Block Headquarters) |   No. of GPs where Wi-Fi hotspots installed |
|----------|------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------|
| 1        | Andhra Pradesh                     |                                               1707 |                                        1570 |
| 2        | Arunachal Pradesh                  |                                                621 |                                         208 |
| 3        | Andaman &Nicobar                   |                                                  8 |                                           0 |
| 4        | Assam                              |                                               1627 |                                           0 |
| 5        | Bihar                              |                                               8821 |                                        5345 |
| 6        | Chandigarh                         |                                                 13 |                                          12 |
| 7        | Chhattisgarh                       |                                               7246 |                                        3664 |
| 8        | Dadra &Nagar Haveli and Daman &Diu |                                                 39 |                                          41 |
| 9        | Gujarat                            |                                              13391 |                                        3755 |
| 10       | Haryana                            |                                               6203 |                                        5953 |
| 11       | Himachal Pradesh                   |                                                370 |                                         254 |
| 12       | Jammu &Kashmir and Ladakh          |                                               1174 |                                        1138 |
| 13       | Jharkhand                          |                                               3597 |                                        2381 |
| 14       | Karnataka                          |                                               6247 |                                        5358 |
| 15       | Kerala                             |                                               1129 |                                        1047 |
| 16       | Lakshadweep                        |                                                  0 |                                           0 |
| 17       | Madhya Pradesh                     |                                              14949 |                                       10888 |
| 18       | Maharashtra                        |                                              18954 |                                       10960 |
| 19       | Manipur                            |                                               1421 |                                         161 |
| 20       | Mizoram                            |                                                368 |                                           0 |
| 21       | Meghalaya                          |                                                494 |                                          70 |
| 22       | Nagaland                           |                                                219 |                                           0 |
| 23       | Odisha                             |                                               5633 |                                        2514 |
| 24       | Puducherry                         |                                                101 |                                          81 |
| 25       | Punjab                             |                                              12795 |                                        7891 |
| 26       | Rajasthan                          |                                               8967 |                                        8124 |
| 27       | Sikkim                             |                                                 28 |                                           0 |
| 28       | Tamil Nadu                         |                                                  0 |                                           0 |
| 29       | Telangana                          |                                               2047 |                                        1997 |
| 30       | Tripura                            |                                                732 |                                         463 |
| 31       | Uttar Pradesh                      |                                              31229 |                                       26897 |
| 32       | Uttarakhand                        |                                               1536 |                                        1251 |
| 33       | West Bengal                        |                                               2430 |                                        1377 |
| Total    | Total                              |                                             154096 |                                      103400 |

************