BharatNet project : Cabinet Fund Approval
The Cabinet approved ₹1.39 lakh crore for the BharatNet project.
- BharatNet project was launched in 2011.
- Ministry: Ministry of Communications.
- Implemented by: Bharat Broadband Network Ltd. (BBNL).
- BharatNet project is a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) set up by the Government of India under the Companies Act, 1956 with an authorized capital of Rs 1000 crore.
- Initially, it was under the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, which was bifurcated into the Ministry of Communications and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in July 2016.
- Currently, it is being implemented by the Department of Telecommunication under the Ministry of Communications.
- BharatNet is one of the biggest rural telecom projects in the world.
- Objective is to facilitate the delivery of e-governance, e-health, e-education, e-banking, Internet, and other services to rural India.
- It seeks to provide connectivity to 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats (GPs) through an optical fibre.
- The entire project is being funded by the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF), which was set up for improving telecom services in rural and remote areas of the country.
