According to Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Rajeev Chandrashekhar, six lakh villages in India will get internet connectivity by 2024 under the Bharat Net programme.
Key Points
- According to the minister, about 2.8 lakh villages have got internet facility as of now.
- Government is working towards its aim to provide internet facility for each household and to provide access to internet with a low-cost device for every member in a family.
- Central government has initiated the digital village programme under which one village in each district will be provided with better internet connectivity. So far, 5,000 digital villages had been developed in India.
BharatNet initiative
It is a flagship mission that is being implemented by Bharat Broadband Network Ltd. (BBNL). This Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) was set up Government of India under Companies Act, 1956. It was under Ministry of Communications and Information Technology in the initial phase (bifurcated into Ministry of Communication and Ministry of Electronics & Information technology in 2016). Currently, this initiative is being implemented by Department of Telecommunication under Ministry of Communications.
Background
Government had launched the National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN) in October 2011. In 2015, this project was renamed as Bharat Net Project.
National Optical Fibre Network
This mission was launched as an information superhighway by creating a robust middle-mile infrastructure to extend broadband connectivity to Gram Panchayats. It was launched by Ministry of Communications to facilitate universal and equitable access to broadband services.