The ambitious BharatNet Project, which aims to bring internet connectivity to gram-panchayat levels across India, may soon power networks in rural Goa. The Goa government has reached out to the central government for assistance in laying fiber cables in the state under the BharatNet scheme. Goa’s Chief Minister, Pramod Sawant, stated that a detailed project report (DPR) has been submitted to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) with the goal of securing funding from the central government. If approved, these funds will be utilized to deploy fiber cables in the rural areas of Goa, providing seamless internet access to consumers throughout the region.
BharatNet Project Driving Digital Inclusion in India
The BharatNet Project’s mission is to connect every village in the country with broadband internet. Private companies have been hesitant to invest in rural areas due to lower expected returns. To ensure that no one in the country is digitally excluded, the central government is overseeing the BharatNet Project. Recently, the Union Cabinet approved an allocation of Rs 1.39 lakh crore to modernize the project. The new phase of the project aims to leverage village-level entrepreneurs to expand internet connectivity in villages.
The government’s target is to connect over 6,40,000 villages to the internet within the next 2.5 years. The government will finance the infrastructure setup, while village entrepreneurs will manage the maintenance and operation of home connections. This initiative will create jobs in rural India and relieve the government of a significant operational burden.
