Lots of learnings from BharatNet’s first two phases: Telecom Minister

Government alters BharatNet program architecture for success, introduces stringent standards for contractors, and considers Starlink launch pending TRAI recommendations.

Even as consortiums led by HFCL Ltd and ITI Ltd bagged major contracts to roll out middle mile networks in BharatNet, the government’s programme to cover all gram panchayats with access to fiber-optic broadband bandwidth, Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Tuesday (November 12, 2024) that the government was altering some of the architecture of the programme to ensure its success in the third phase.

“It’s not only important to put the infrastructure in place, but ensure that the operational expenditure plan in addition to the capex plan is also” taken care of, Mr. Scindia said, responding to a query on how infrastructure in the previous phases suffered from issues like lack of electricity and maintenance. The network topology was also being reworked from a so-called linear topology to a “ring” topology where individual deployments would be less vulnerable to downtime in other parts of the network.

The invite for bids, Mr. Scindia said, also included stringent performance standards from BharatNet contractors, such as making sure that the network anywhere remains up for at least 95% of the time. 

Starlink launch

On the launch of SpaceX’s satellite internet service Starlink, Mr. Scindia said that any decision was contingent on recommendations from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), which is holding a consultation process. A Starlink executive had clashed last week with Indian telecom executives over the course of an open house discussion held by the regulator, accusing the firms of making false statements about the Elon Musk-owned service.

After that consultation process concludes with recommendations from TRAI, Mr. Scindia said, Starlink would be free to apply. “They have to comply with all the conditionalities,” he said. “You have to look at it from a security perspective, making sure all the security concerns are addressed.”

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