According to SP Singh Baghel, minister of state, Panchayati Raj, in a written reply to Rajya Sabha, more than 0.2 million-gram panchayats across India are now service-ready for broadband connectivity. This development is part of the BharatNet project, led by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), which aims to deliver affordable, high-speed internet access to rural areas.
Baghel emphasised that the infrastructure established under BharatNet serves as a national asset, available equitably to all service providers. This network can support a variety of broadband services, including Fibre to the Home (FTTH), leased lines, dark fibre, and mobile tower backhaul.
As of February 2025, a total of 214,323-gram panchayats have been equipped and made service-ready under the initiative.
The minister also highlighted that the union cabinet has approved the Amended BharatNet Program (ABP), which follows the “design, build, operate and maintain” (DBOM) model. This amendment aims to upgrade the existing infrastructure from Phase-I and Phase-II, establish connectivity in about 42,000 gram panchayats that are currently offline, and ensure 10 years of network operation and maintenance. The ABP is expected to be completed by March 2027.
Additionally, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has been tasked with delivering 15 million FTTH connections to households over the next five years.
