BharatNet Project 

• Launched as the National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN) in 2011, renamed as BharatNet Project in 2015. 
• It is the world’s largest rural broadband connectivity program using optical fiber. 
• Implemented by Bharat Broadband Network Ltd. (BBNL), a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) created by the Government of India. 
• Managed by the Department of Telecommunication under the Ministry of Communications. 

Implementation 

• The project includes a new strategy involving Village Level Entrepreneurs (Udyamis) to provide fiber connections to the last mile, speeding up connectivity over the next 2.5 years. 
• Funded by the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF), which ensures quality ICT services at affordable prices in rural and remote areas. 

Objective 

• Aims to compete with private operators like Jio and Airtel, especially in rural areas where they have less coverage. 
• Plans to connect all 640,000 villages in India with high-speed internet. 
• Seeks to provide 100 Mbps bandwidth at each Gram Panchayat to enable access to online services, especially in rural areas.