Two lakh Gram Panchayats to be connected with internet, broadband by March 2020

Centre has set a target to provide internet and broadband connectivity to two lakh Gram Panchayats by March next year.

In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said a total of over 1,28,000 Gram Panchayats have been made Service Ready till 7th of this month.

The Minister said, BharatNet project is being implemented in a phased manner to provide broadband and internet



connectivity to all 2,50,000 Gram Panchayats in the country.

Mr Prasad said, as of now, Wi-Fi hotspots have been installed in around 45,000 Gram Panchayats and services are being provided in over 16,000 Gram Panchayats. The Minister said, the internet is being currently accessed mainly through mobile wireless 2G, 3G and 4G technologies which at present cover more than 95 per cent population of the country.