BharatNet
History, Phases, and the Amended Programme
BharatNet is one of the world's largest rural telecom infrastructure projects, originally launched as the National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN) on October 25, 2011. It was renamed BharatNet in 2015. The project aims to provide non-discriminatory broadband access to all approximately 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats across India through a special purpose vehicle, Bharat Broadband Network Limited (BBNL), incorporated on February 25, 2012.
- Original name: National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN); approved by Union Cabinet: October 25, 2011
- Renamed: BharatNet, 2015
- Implementation SPV: Bharat Broadband Network Limited (BBNL)
- Phase I: Connecting 1 lakh GPs with optical fibre
- Phase II: Connecting remaining 1.5 lakh GPs; used multiple technology modes (OFC, radio, satellite)
- Amended BharatNet Programme (ABP): approved August 4, 2023; upgrades legacy linear topology to ring topology for network resilience; consolidates and expands to all GPs on demand
- Ring topology vs. linear topology: ring topology provides redundancy — if one link fails, traffic reroutes through the other direction, ensuring continuity
● Tracked since February 22, 2026 · last seen May 13, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
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