Govt Will Bring Optical Fiber Broadband To 6.5 lakh villages: IT Minister

The government is working to provide optical fiber connection to 6.5 lakh villages via the National Broadband Mission. The IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the country was kept on track because of the IT infrastructure during the lockdown. The discussion took place during the Question Hour in the Lok Sabha. Furthermore, Prasad said that the Center is committed to improve telecom infrastructure across the country.

Connecting India with Optical Fiber

Yesterday, talking at the Voice&Data Telecom Leadership Forum, 2021, DoT Secretary Anshu Sharma highlighted the commitment to the National Broadband Mission and BharatNet. On the same day, the IT and Communications Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad talked about the NBM. This not only highlights the importance of the project but of the telecom infrastructure as a whole. Prasad said that this was the "communication strategy" of the Modi government. The larger aim is to provide optical fiber connection to 6.5 lakh villages.

The minister also noted the government's efforts to liberalize work-from-home. So much so that he said that now it has become "work-from-anywhere". Even education is fast becoming digital as most schools were able to continue because of the encouragement to digital education.

What is the National Broadband Mission

The National Broadband Mission (NBM) was launched on December 17, 2019. The project was launched with a vision to enable fast track growth of digital communications infrastructure. The project will also bridge the digital divide for digital empowerment and inclusion. Most importantly, the project will provide affordable and universal access to broadband for all.

So far, BharatNet, the optical fiber project, is a few years off track with its progress. Recently, a parliamentary committee slammed CPSUs for the slow progress, and even took RailTel off the project altogether. The Phase I of the project will likely finish later this year and Phase II will commence shortly thereafter.

The project will cost around Rs. 70,000 Crores under the Universal Service Obligation Fund. The mission will cover all the districts of the country, connecting every place with optical fiber.