Centre, Gujarat govt to bring high-speed internet to all villages

The Government of India through Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN) has signed an agreement with Gujarat Government, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited and Gujarat Fibre Grid Network Limited (GFGNL) under the Amended BharatNet Program in Gandhinagar. The Agreement enables handing over of all the BharatNet works, activities and responsibilities including all related and incidental matters in Gujarat to GFGNL to undertake Amended BharatNet Program schemes.

Gujarat holds the distinction of being the first among eight states in the country undertaking BharatNet under State-led model.

With an ambitious target of over 98% service uptime, the project will ensure that all 14,654 gram panchayats and non-gram panchayat villages in Gujarat gain access to fast and reliable internet. The Centre has already given in-principle approval for Rs 5,631 crore to support the capital expenditure and ten years of maintenance.

Officials said the initiative will transform rural lives by improving education, healthcare, e-governance, digital entrepreneurship, and more. It will also empower government departments to deliver services directly to farmers, women, students, and small business owners. Connectivity will extend to mobile towers, field offices, homes, and fintech services, enabling enhanced mobile signal strength, household broadband, and rural startup support. The high-speed internet — with a minimum download speed of 25 Mbps per Fiber-to-the-Home user — will enable real-time governance and foster innovation at the grassroots.