BharatNet — Gram Panchayats with Optical Fibre

BharatNet is the world's largest rural broadband project, aiming to connect all 2.5 lakh gram panchayats (GPs) with optical fibre internet. Phase 1 (2014-17): 1 lakh GPs. Phase 2 (2017-23): expanded to 2.5 lakh GPs. Phase 3 (approved 2023, ₹1.39 lakh crore) adds a hybrid model using satellite + fibre + radio to cover the remaining villages beyond GP headquarters. As of March 2026, ~2.14 lakh GPs have been connected with OFC. Active bandwidth utilisation remains low in many rural GPs — last-mile Wi-Fi hotspots and CSCs are critical for actual usage. The programme is implemented by BSNL (BBNL merged into BSNL in 2023) under DoT.