BSNL brings 30,500 villages under broadband

BSNL has brought 30,500 villages under the reach of broadband. It has also provided 'village public telephones' (VPTs) under the Bharat Nirman Programme to about 54,700 uncovered villages through subsidy support from the 'universal service obligation fund' (USOF).

With this, the telecom giant has provided telephones to five and half lakh villages across the country.

Its target under Bharat Nirman is to provide subsidised public telephone facility to 66,822 uncovered villages, and the remaining VPTs are likely to be provided by the end of the current year.

The Bharat Nirman scheme covers all villages except those with a population of less than 100 ot those lying in deeply forested areas and those affected by insurgency.

The programme is being carried out under agreements signed by derpartment of telecom with BSNL in November 2004. Providing one telephone per village is one of schemes under the Centre's Bharat Nirman Programme.

About 5,000 remotely located villages are also being provided with digital satellite phone terminals (DSPTs), under the village public telephone scheme, using satellite technology.

Some of the VPTs, which were initially proposed to be provided on DSPTs, are being delivered through wireless coverage, now available in these villages because of BSNL's network expansion.

The maximum numbers of villages covered so far under the scheme are from Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. The state-wise number of villages provided with VPT facility as on 30 June 2008 is (refer table below):