National Broadband Mission 2.0, Sanchar Sathi app launched by DoT

DoT allows intra-circle roaming at Digital Bharat Nidhi-funded towers

The government on Friday unveiled the vision document for the National Broadband Mission (NBM) 2.0, which will provide broadband internet connectivity to the remaining 170,000 villages across the country.

 

While launching the scheme, Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said that NBM 2.0 builds on the success of NBM 1.0.

 

Launched in 2019, the NBM had targeted broadband access to all villages by 2022 through the laying of an incremental 30 lakh km of optical fibre cable and increase in tower density from 0.42 to 1.0 tower per thousand of population by 2024.

 

But the first phase of the scheme was able to establish nearly 8 lakh towers, and the targets could not be reached.

 

Now, NBM 2.0 aims to connect the remaining 170,000 villages across the country.

 

“Our goal is to ensure that at least 60 out of every 100 rural households have access to broadband connectivity. Additionally, we aim to achieve a minimum fixed broadband download speed of 100 Mbps,” Scindia said on the occasion.

 

Fight against fraud

 

The minister also launched a mobile app for its Sanchar Sathi portal, the government's primary tool for protecting mobile phone users from various frauds such as identity theft, forged KYC, and theft of mobile phones.

 

Launched in May 2023, the portal detects fraudulent connections and triggers re-verification. Failing reverification, the number is disconnected. Questions have been raised on the process followed by the government. But, the department of telecom (DoT) claims the established process of built-in checks and balances have resulted in zero complaints or grievances till date against the portal.

 

The app will help users lodge complaints against suspected fraud connections straight from the call logs on their phone.

 

The DoT also inaugurated Intra Circle Roaming (ICR) at Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN)-funded 4G mobile sites. ICR between telcos at DBN funded 4G mobile sites will enable subscribers of multiple telcos to access 4G services from a single DBN funded tower instead of having multiple towers for various telcos, as had been the case till now. DBN is the new name for the erstwhile Universal Service Obligation Fund, the Centre’s primary source of capital for building telecom infrastructure in the country.

 

“This is a crucial pillar, with three of our Telecom Service Providers -- BSNL, Airtel, and Reliance -- joining forces to leverage each other’s infrastructure at all DBN-funded sites. With nearly 27,836 such sites, we are ensuring not only connectivity but also providing customers across the country with the freedom of choice,” Scindia said.