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8.65 Under the flagship BharatNet project, as on 27.09.2021, 5.46 lakh km Optical Fiber Cable
has been laid, a total of 1.73 lakh Gram Panchayats (GP) have been connected by Optical Fiber
Cable (OFC) and 1.59 lakh Gram Panchayats are service ready on OFC. In addition, 4173 GPs
have been connected over satellite media. Wi-Fi hotspots have been installed at 1.04lakh Gram
Panchayats of which services are being provided at 0.64 lakh Gram Panchayats, catering to more
than 16.17 lakh subscribers with a data usage to the tune of 5670.42 TB per month. The scope
of BharatNet has now been extended to cover all inhabited villages beyond Gram Panchayats.
On 30.06.2021, Government accorded approval for a revised strategy for implementation of
BharatNet through Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model in 16 States of the country covering
about 3.61 lakh villages (including 1.37 lakh GPs). Other projects include improving connectivity
in 354 villages in the border areas of Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar
Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Uttarakhand. As on 27.9.2021, around 161 villages out
of 354 villages have been covered with mobile service. A boost to the telecom infrastructure is
also being given under the aspirational district scheme.

8.66 The Government of India is implementing a Comprehensive Telecom Development Plan
(CTDP) for the North-Eastern Region and Comprehensive Telecom Development Plan for Islands
to provide mobile connectivity in the uncovered villages and along National Highways in the
North-east. As on 30.08.2021, towers at 1,358 sites have been installed and are providing services.
The undersea 2,313-km optic fiber-based telecom connectivity between Chennai and Andaman
&Nicobar Islands was inaugurated in August 2020. Government has approved the proposal for
provision of submarine Optical Fiber Cable Connectivity by laying approximately 1891km of
cable between Kochi and Lakshadweep Islands. With the implementation of this project, the high-
speed internet/ broadband connectivity will be available in Lakshadweep Islands.

8.67 In addition to the expansion in the telecom infrastructure, a number of measures have been
taken to bring about structural and procedural reforms (see Box 8 for details). In the backdrop
of the outstanding performance of the telecom sector in meeting COVID-19 challenges and
with huge surge in data consumption due to online education, work from home, interpersonal
connect through social media, virtual meetings etc., the reform measures will further boost
the proliferation and penetration of broadband and telecom connectivity. The reforms are also
expected to boost 4G proliferation, infuse liquidity and create an enabling environment for
investment in 5G networks.

Box 8: Reforms in the Telecom Sector

Structural Reforms
1. Rationalization of Adjusted Gross Revenue: Non-telecom revenue will be excluded on
prospective basis from the definition of AGR

2. Bank Guarantees (BGs) against License Fee (LF) have been rationalized. One BGs in different
Licensed Service Areas (LSAs) regions in the country has been allowed.

3. Interest rates rationalized/ Penalties removed: From 1st October, 2021, delayed payments of
License Fee (LF)/Spectrum Usage Charge (SUC) will attract interest rate of SBI’s MCLR plus