High-speed Internet service launched

BSNL has launched the Amended BharatNet Program (ABP) aimed at providing high-speed broadband connectivity to all gram panchayats in the state with the ground-breaking ceremony held at the Dharampur block at the week-end.

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Funded by the Digital Bharat Nidhi, the ABP is a next-generation upgrade of BharatNet designed to deliver high-speed broadband connectivity nationwide. Of the total project cost, Rs 2,450 crore has been allocated for Himachal Pradesh.

Once launched, it will provide optical fiber cable (OFC) ring architecture for improved redundancy and service stability, Internet Protocol - Multiprotocol Label Switching network with block - and gram panchayat-level routers, 10-year operations and maintenance support, Remote Fibre Monitoring System (RFMS) and power backup for network nodes. The project will expand connectivity across the hills.

Previous BharatNet phases connected 409 gram panchayats via linear OFC or satellite, offering limited bandwidth. The ABP will significantly improve the design and aims to connect all 3,615 gram panchayats and approximately 15,500 non-gram panchayat villages by 2027.