BharatNet to connect 150,000 villages with internet by 2019: Things to know

BharatNet, an initiative of the central government to provide high-speed broadband connectivity to all gram panchayats by March 2019, would enter its final phase on November 13. 

With an outlay of around Rs 34,000 crore, the government aims to connect 150,000 panchayats through 1 million km of additional optical fibre and give bandwidth to telecom players at nearly 75 per cent cheaper rates for broadband and Wi-Fi services in rural areas.

Here is everything you need to know about BharatNet:

Inception

Launched in October 2011 as 'National Optical Fibre Network', the government of India initiative aimed at providing high-speed broadband services in over