Jharkhand moves ahead with amended BharatNet rollout to expand rural broadband connectivity
THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK Ranchi, September 10: Jharkhand has taken a significant step toward strengthening rural digital connectivity by signing the Project…
THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Ranchi, September 10: Jharkhand has taken a significant step toward strengthening rural digital connectivity by signing the Project Implementation and Support Agreement for the Amended BharatNet Programme (ABP) – BharatNet Phase III.
The agreement was signed on Thursday between the Government of India’s Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN), the Government of Jharkhand and Jharkhand Digital Infrastructure Corporation Limited (JDICL), paving the way for expansion of high-speed broadband infrastructure across rural and underserved areas of the State.
Administrator, DBN, Shyamal Mishra, represented the Government of India. On behalf of the Government of Jharkhand, Pooja Singhal, Secretary, Department of Information Technology, and Madhavi Mishra, Director, signed the agreement.
BharatNet Phase III to cover 260 blocks and 4,395 Gram Panchayats
Under Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s leadership, the Amended BharatNet Programme is being implemented as a Centre–State collaborative initiative to provide reliable, high-speed broadband connectivity to rural and underserved communities.
The programme will cover 260 blocks, 4,395 Gram Panchayats and 26,777 non-GP villages across Jharkhand.
The expanded network is expected to provide a stronger digital infrastructure base for extending broadband services to rural households, government institutions and other users.
4.39 lakh FTTH connections planned
The programme includes several major infrastructure and service-delivery components.
These include:
- Upgradation of 4,387 existing Gram Panchayats to Ring Topology.
- Connectivity of eight new Gram Panchayats through Ring Topology.
- Provision of 4,39,049 Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) connections over five years.
- Extension of high-speed broadband connectivity to Gram Panchayats and non-GP villages on a demand basis.
- Creation and upgradation of Middle-Mile Infrastructure to improve network capacity and reliability.
- Establishment and operation of a State Network Operations Centre (SNOC) in Jharkhand.
- BSNL will support Project Management Consultancy (PMC) to JDICL for implementation of the programme.
Rural households, government institutions to benefit
The BharatNet expansion is expected to facilitate wider access to fibre-based broadband services for rural households, with priority being given to government institutions and underserved areas.
Improved broadband connectivity is expected to strengthen access to e-Governance, education, healthcare, digital services and other online facilities for people living in rural parts of Jharkhand.
The upgraded network will also support government institutions in delivering citizen-centric services through digital platforms and enable rural communities to make greater use of online services.
Centre–State partnership to strengthen digital infrastructure
The Amended BharatNet Programme marks a significant collaboration between the Government of India and the Government of Jharkhand to expand digital infrastructure and improve broadband access across the State.
The initiative is aimed at strengthening the infrastructure required for the effective delivery of digital public services, particularly in rural and underserved areas.
The Jharkhand Government, under Chief Minister Hemant Soren, is coordinating with the Government of India and implementing agencies for the effective execution of the programme and to ensure that the benefits of improved digital connectivity reach rural communities across the State.
