Outreach Session on Broadband Connectivity was held as part of the Post-Budget Webinars on the Union Budget 2025-26, focusing on the theme "Investing in People, Economy, and Innovation". The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is collaborating with which two ministries for the broadband connectivity initiative?

The Correct Answer is ​Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

In News

•  DoT in collaboration with MoE, and MoHFW to Implement Broadband Connectivity Initiative Under Union Budget 2025-26.

Key Points

• Outreach Session on Broadband Connectivity was held as part of the Post-Budget Webinars on the Union Budget 2025-26, focusing on the theme "Investing in People, Economy, and Innovation".

• The session highlighted the transformative impact of providing broadband connectivity to Government Secondary Schools and Primary Health Centres in rural and far-off areas.

• Key benefits of this initiative:

  • Enable e-learning platforms, virtual labs, digital literacy, telemedicine, and electronic health records.
  • Bridge the urban-rural digital divide.
  • Empower rural communities through seamless connectivity, e-Governance, and economic opportunities.
  • Make quality education and healthcare more accessible in rural India.

• The Department of Telecommunications (DoT), in collaboration with Ministry of Education (MoE) and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), will implement the broadband connectivity initiative under Union Budget 2025-26.

• BharatNet Project: Broadband connectivity will be provided to all Government Secondary Schools and Primary Health Centres in rural areas.

• BharatNet Programme:

  • Being implemented in a phased manner to provide broadband connectivity to all Gram Panchayats (GPs) and villages beyond GPs on demand.
  • The goal is to promote education, health, agriculture innovations, e-Governance, e-education, e-commerce, telemedicine, and the overall well-being of rural populations.

• The Amended BharatNet Program will use the Design, Build, Operate and Maintain (DBOM) model with ring topology and an IP-MPLS network.

  • This will also involve the upgradation of the existing network from BharatNet Phase-I and Phase-II and the creation of networks in uncovered GPs.

• BSNL has been nominated as the Project Management Agency for the BharatNet Project.

• BharatNet Udyamis (BNUs) model will be used to provide 1.50 crore rural home fibre connections across all States/UTs over the next five years, prioritizing Government institutions like schools, health centers, Anganwadis, and Panchayat offices.