Aiming to strengthen its Digital India push, the government on Wednesday said it will pump Rs 10,000 crore in 2017-18 in its BharatNet project to lay optical fibre cables (OFC).
"Under the BharatNet Project, OFC has been laid in 1,55,000 km. I have stepped up the allocation for BharatNet Project to Rs 10,000 crore in 2017-18," Jaitley said while presenting the Union Budget for 2017-18.
"By the end of 2017-18, high-speed broadband connectivity on optical fibre will be available in more than 150,000-gram panchayats, with Wi-Fi hot-spots and access to digital services at low tariffs," he added.
Saying the telecom sector is an important component of the country's infrastructure eco-system, Jaitley said the recent spectrum auctions have removed spectrum scarcity in the country.
"This will give a major fillip to mobile broadband and Digital India for the benefit of people living in rural and remote areas."
The Minister said the government will launch a DigiGaon initiative, which will provide telemedicine, education and skills through digital technology. Also read: Referral Bonus And Cash-Back Scheme to Boost BHIM Adoption
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