Krishnagiri district expands broadband connectivity in village panchayats as part of BharatNet Phase 2

The project's methodology has been described by district authorities, who also revealed that about 85% of the optical fibre cables will be installed next to current electrical lines. The final 15% will be covertly put in place underground.

As part of the BharatNet Phase II project, which aims to provide high-speed broadband connectivity to village panchayats, developments are now taking place in the Krishnagiri district. According to a story from The Hindu, the Tamil Nadu Fibernet Corporation is implementing this revolutionary programme with the aim of guaranteeing equal access to broadband internet throughout all blocks and village panchayats.

The project's methodology has been described by district authorities, who also revealed that about 85% of the optical fibre cables will be installed next to current electrical lines. The final 15% will be covertly put in place underground. Once the infrastructure is in place, the way will be cleared for the building of mobile phone towers, internet access in individual homes, and broadband service leasing.

All block service centres and panchayat service centres are serving as major focal points for monitoring the installation of this network architecture. The panchayat service centre will give amazing data speeds of up to 1 Gbps thanks to the installed optical fibre lines, ensuring smooth communication for the nearby settlements.

Collector K.M. Sarayu has further asked all parties involved, including queue departments, neighbourhood representatives, farmers, and panchayat members, to actively participate and cooperate. Their combined efforts will be essential to the successful completion of this ambitious project, which will usher in a new era of digital empowerment for the village panchayats in Krishnagiri district.

As the administration aims to incorporate services like property tax payments, water tax payments, and building approvals into the panchayat systems, this innovative concept is in line with the digitalization of public services. Residents will benefit from greater convenience and efficiency in obtaining these crucial services by making use of broadband connectivity.

The digital divide between rural and urban India is very wide. According to a BBNL report on BharatNet phase 2 Planning, while voice and internet coverage in metropolitan areas in India is practically full, there are still about 50,000 villages in rural India that do not even have voice connectivity. In rural India, there are 2,50,000 Gramme Panchayats, or village councils. On average, 2.56 villages are served by each Gramme Panchayat, for a total of around 6,40,000 villages.

The Indian government has made significant efforts to close the digital gap. One such digital initiative by the Indian government is BharatNet, formerly known as the National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN), which intends to provide broadband Internet access to every village and Gramme Panchayat in India.