New Delhi, March 22
The National Broadband Mission (NBM) has helped bridged the digital divide in rural areas in the country and Tamil Nadu leads in broadband rollout with over 10,000 Gram Panchayats now service-ready, the government has said.
The National Broadband Mission (NBM) 2.0 starts from April 1 and builds upon the strengths and experiences gained from the NBM 1.0 and aims to propel India into a new era of digital transformation and global competitiveness, said Dr Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, Minister of State for Communications And Rural Development, in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.
To improve broadband connectivity in rural areas, the government launched the Gati Shakti Sanchar Portal on May 14, 2022, thus streamlining Right of Way (RoW) permissions for Optical Fiber Cable (OFC) laying and telecom tower installation.
The Telecommunications Act, 2023, and the Telecommunications (Right of Way) Rules 2024 with effect from 1st January 2025, further streamlined RoW processes.
Further, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is ensuring stable broadband connectivity in rural areas and bridging the digital divide with funding from Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN), said the minister.