Bhubaneswar, July 29: The Centre will invest more than Rs 3,384 crore to expand high-speed broadband connectivity across rural Odisha under the BharatNet Phase-III project, following the signing of two key Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) by the Odisha government Wednesday to strengthen the state’s digital infrastructure.
Under the project, all 6,799 gram panchayats in the state will be upgraded with IP-MPLS technology and a ring topology network, while Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) connectivity will be extended to villages.
The project, which is expected to be completed over the next three years, will provide internet access to more than 50,000 villages.
The first MoU, aimed at implementing the revised BharatNet programme in Odisha, was signed among Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN), the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), BSNL and the state’s Electronics and IT department.
Officials said the project would establish optical fibre connectivity from block headquarters to gram panchayats and further extend broadband access to households.
Data exchange centres will also be developed at the block and gram panchayat levels to strengthen digital connectivity.
A second MoU was signed between the Electronics and IT department and the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) to promote collaboration in emerging technologies, research and digital governance.
The partnership will focus on areas such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and digital public services, with the objective of making government services faster, more transparent, secure and accessible, officials said.