Gandhinagar: An agreement was signed today between four participating parties, namely the State Department of Science and Technology (DST), Gujarat Fiber Grid Network Ltd. (GFGNL), Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN) of the Government of India, and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (BSNL) for the implementation of the Amended BharatNet (Phase-3).

To further strengthen digital connectivity in rural areas of Gujarat and bridge the urban-rural digital gap, the Department of Science and Technology of the State Government will launch the Amended BharatNet Program (Phase-3). Under this phase, the state government plans to ensure more than 98% service uptime, even in remote areas of Gujarat, to provide equal digital accessibility.

Gujarat has become the first among eight states in the country to sign a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) for implementing the Amended BharatNet Program (Phase-3) in a state-based model. The State Government signed the MoC in the presence of Union Communications Minister Shri Jyotiraditya Scindia at the India Mobile Congress held in Delhi in October 2024. Subsequently, in January 2025, the Government of India granted in-principle approval to Gujarat for CAPEX and 10-year OPEX of ₹5,631 crore under BharatNet Phase-3.

Following this approval, on June 24, 2025, in Gandhinagar, a formal agreement between the four participating parties was signed for the implementation of the Amended BharatNet Phase-3.

The central delegation, including Union Telecom Secretary Shri Neeraj Mittal, visited the Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) Education Experience Center at Vidya Samiksha Kendra in Gandhinagar before the event. After the signing ceremony, they visited BharatNet-connected sites like Enasan Primary School, Vehlal Gram Panchayat, Vehlal Primary Health Center, and Telco Grade Shelter in Ahmedabad to experience Gujarat’s high-speed internet connectivity.

According to a press release, Gujarat has successfully implemented BharatNet Phase-2 under the state-based model, covering more than 8,000 Gram Panchayats across 22 districts. Gujarat leads the nation with over 95% network uptime. At the India Mobile Congress 2024, the Union Communications Minister praised Gujarat for its outstanding execution of BharatNet Phase-2.

The Gujarat Government has launched several e-governance services on BharatNet through the “Digital Seva Setu (e-Gram)” program, providing 321 services at over 14,000 e-Gram centers. More than 1.6 crore citizens have benefited through Gram Panchayat-level connectivity. Additionally, the state government has connected 7,500+ schools, 765 health centers, 377 police posts, and 50 iconic locations through BharatNet Phase-2. Over 10,000 rural institutions have been linked so far, and work is underway to connect 50,000 more. Gujarat has also fiberized over 290 telecom towers, boosting mobile network coverage in remote areas, stated the official note.

Under Amended BharatNet Phase-3, 14,287 Gram Panchayats and 3,895 villages in Gujarat will gain access to high-speed digital infrastructure, with more than 98% uptime. This initiative will enable departments to provide value-added services in areas like education, healthcare, agriculture, and commerce—significantly improving the standard of living in rural areas. DeshGujarat