Only 30% of Gram Panchayats have functional BharatNet connections, Standing Committee finds

The Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology examined the performance of schemes under Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN), a fund aimed at providing telecom services in rural, remote, and underserved areas. This matters to citizens as it assesses the progress of broadband connectivity in villages, border regions, and aspirational districts.

Ministry of Communications and Information Technology; Public and Private sector entities involved in telecom infrastructure; Citizens in rural, remote, border, and north-eastern regions.

• BharatNet: Only 30% of Gram Panchayats had functional connections as of Feb 2026; Committee recommended state-wise audits, increasing household connections, and timely tendering.
• Security-sensitive areas: 93% of towers in LWE areas and 42% in border outposts commissioned; Committee recommended logistical/security support and inter-ministry coordination for clearances.
• Remote areas: 61% of towers commissioned under 4G saturation project and 81% under Aspirational Districts scheme; Committee recommended strengthening field implementation and acting on audit findings regarding coverage gaps and weak signals.
• North-Eastern regions: 68% of planned 2G towers installed; Committee recommended infrastructure sharing among operators and an outcome-based framework with service quality benchmarks.
• PSU Role: Committee noted varying performance of PSUs like BSNL and ITI; recommended strengthening pre-project appraisal, contractual obligations, and performance-linked incentives.
• R&D: Committee recommended translating TTDF-funded research into deployable solutions, expanding rural pilots, and linking innovations with BharatNet.

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