National Broadband Mission 2.0 to launch on April 1, 2025

The Government has taken the following key actions to improve broadband connectivity in rural areas and bridge the digital divide by implementing the National Broadband Mission (NBM) in the country, including the state of Tamil Nadu:

Launched the Gati Shakti Sanchar Portal on 14th May 2022, thus streamlining Right of Way (RoW) permissions for Optical Fiber Cable (OFC) laying and telecom tower installation. The Telecommunications Act, 2023, and the Telecommunications (Right of Way) Rules 2024 with effect from 1st January 2025, further streamlined RoW processes.

Further, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is ensuring stable broadband connectivity in rural areas and bridging the digital divide with funding from Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN). Key initiatives include:

• The Amended Bharat Net project provides broadband to all Gram Panchayats (GPs) and villages (on demand).
• Various schemes for high-speed internet and mobile services (including 4G) in remote areas, such as the North-East, Islands, LWE(Left-Wing Extremism)-affected regions, Aspirational Districts, and border villages.
• Submarine optical fiber cables were laid between Chennai and Andaman & Nicobar and Kochi and Lakshadweep for faster internet connectivity.

Under the state-led model in Tamil Nadu, the cost of work awarded is Rs.1544.44 crore (exclusive of taxes), out of which Rs.1093.74 crore has been utilized up to 28th Feb 2025. As of 24th Feb 2025, 10298 GPs out of 12524 have been made service-ready. 53,511 route kilometres of Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) have been laid under the BharatNet Project in Tamil Nadu.

The National Broadband Mission (NBM) 2.0 starts from 1st April 2025 and builds upon the strengths and experiences gained from the NBM 1.0 and aims to propel India into a new era of digital transformation and global competitiveness.

CT Bureau