DBN, GFGNL, and BSNL Sign Addendum for Rs.5,629 Crore BharatNet Rural Broadband Rollout in Gujarat

Exam-focused facts from the 15 July 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT), through Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN), signed an addendum with Gujarat Fibre Grid Network Limited (GFGNL) and BSNL to implement the Amended BharatNet Programme in Gujarat under the State-led model.
The project has an approved outlay of ₹5,629 crore and will cover 14,287 Gram Panchayats, including upgrading 14,264 existing Gram Panchayats to a ring topology and adding 23 newly created Gram Panchayats.
Broadband connectivity will be extended to 3,895 villages on a demand basis, and the initiative is expected to support more than five lakh rural home fibre connections.
The improved infrastructure aims to strengthen digital public services like e-Governance, online education, telemedicine, and digital payments in rural Gujarat.