Bharat Net is an ambitious project of the government, which aims to upgrade 1,64,000 gram panchayats in India and bring new fiber connections to 47,000 gram panchayats. Government of India is already spending Rs 1.39 lakh crore for this project. Now again Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has floated a fresh tender of Rs 65,000 crore for implementing the third phase of BharatNet project.
In 2023, BSNL and BBNL (Bharat Broadband Network Limited) came together to efficiently complete the BharatNet project. Note that this BBNL is a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), set up by the Center to implement the BharatNet project.
According to a report by ET, BSNL has invited multiple companies to bid across a total of 16 states and Union Territories (UTs) including Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan. Note that organizations can participate here individually and jointly. However, depending on the state, the bidding price can range from Rs 50 crore to Rs 375 crore For another package, the annual turnover for the last three financial years should be at least Tk 325 crore.
Ericsson, Nokia, HFCL, Tejas Network and many other vendors are expected to benefit from this new project. The invitation to bid document states that the bidder must have implemented OFC (Optical Fiber Cable) network construction projects in the past and must have supplied at least 800 units of equipment including switches, routers in the last 10 years.
Implementation of Phase III of BharatNet has three objectives. These are – BSNL will provide internet leased line bandwidth across 7,269 blocks, private companies will oversee middle-mile connections for a decade.
