🔆 BharatNet – Ministry of Communications 📍 Why in the News? ✅ 2.1 Lakh Gram Panchayats have been made service-ready under the BharatNet project. 📍 Quick Facts ✅ Purpose: Providing last-mile connectivity to all Gram Panchayats (GPs). ✅ Type: Central Sector Scheme ✅ Funding: Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) ✅ Implementing Agency: Bharat Broadband Network (Merged into BSNL in 2022). 📍 Objective ✅ Provide 100 Mbps broadband connectivity to all Gram Panchayats (2.6 lakh) under Digital India. 📍 Phases of BharatNet ✅ BharatNet Phase I (2011): Established as National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN). Connected block HQs to GPs using CPSUs like BSNL, RailTel, PGCIL. ✅ BharatNet Phase II (2017): Uses OFC, radio, and satellite for connectivity. Implemented via State-led, Private Sector, and CPSU models. ✅ BharatNet Phase III (Upcoming): State-of-the-art future-proof network. 📍 Current Status (2025 Target) ✅ Phase 1: 1.22 lakh out of 1.23 lakh GPs made service-ready. ✅ Phase 2: 71,000+ out of 1.44 lakh GPs made service-ready. 📍 Approach ✅ Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs)/BharatNet Udyami to manage fiber connections on a 50:50 revenue-sharing basis. ✅ VLEs get equipment, routers, and additional fiber optics from BBNL. ✅ Satellite Connectivity (GSAT-11 & GSAT-19): Provides connectivity to 6700 GPs/areas lacking other mediums. #government_schemes