Govt to set up national optic fibre network to expand broadband connectivity in gram panchayats

NEW DELHI: Centre has constituted a coordination committee to establish National Optic Fibre Network (NOFN) for offering broadband connectivity to more than two-lakh gram panchayats at Rs 20,000 crore.

The Chairman of the committee is Telecom Secretary R Chandrasekar as the chairman. It will be assessing the needs of different ministries and departments of Centre to provide government-to-citizen (G2C) services at the panchayat level.

Moreover, the committee will be having members from varied departments such as information technology, health and family welfare, school education and literacy, higher education, food and public distribution, panchayati raj, rural development and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited. The administrator of United States Obligation Fund will play the role of convenor.

The panel has been established after a meeting to ensure that the backbone facility that is being developed for NOFN is completely used and the network helps Centre to unveil e-services and e-applications across India.