Second phase of BharatNet begins

New Delhi: The second phase of BharatNet project with an outlay of `31,000 crore and a mandate to provide high-speed broadband to all panchayats by March 2019 got off the block on Monday. Telecom minister Manoj Sinha, along with Ravi Shankar Prasad, Prakash Javadekar and Bihar dy CM Sushil Modi announced commencement of the phase. Jio paid the highest advance subscription fee to provide broadband services at 30,000 panchayats, with a commitment to buy bandwidth in every panchayat from the government as it expands.