Internet Connections to 2 lakh Gram Panchayat by 2020

Government of India has set a target of providing broad band connectivity to two lakh Gram Panchayats by March 2020. So far (till 7th November, 2019) over 1,28,000 Gram Panchayats have already been connected. The project is being implemented under the BharatNet Project.

Highlights

According to the Ministry of Electronic and Information Technology, Wi-Fi hotspots have been installed in 45,000 Gram Panchayats. Service is being provided to 16,000 Panchayats. The updates were presented by the Electronics and Information Minister Shri Ravi Shankar in the Lok Sabha.

Bharat Net Project

The Bharat Net Project was launched in 2017. The main aim of the project is to provide affordable broadband connectivity at a speed of 2 Mbps to 20 Mbps for all . The first phase of the project was completed in December 2017 that provided broad band connectivity to 1 lakh Gram Panchayats. In its second phase the project intended to connect the remaining 2,50,000 Gram Panchayats by March 2019.

OFC in the Project

The project uses underground Optic Fibre Cables (OFC) lines. It is a new element in the history of connectivity of India. OFC has several advantages like low cost, easy maintenance, speed implementation, etc.

Month: Current Affairs - November, 2019