BharatNet at crossroads: BBNL, CSC spar on last-mile equipment deployment

NEW DELHI: BharatNet at crossroads: BBNL, CSC spar on last-mile equipment deployment – The spat between the 2 government agencies — Bharat Broadband Network Limited (BBNL) and customary Service Centre (CSC) — have come to fore following the shifting of items for utilization of the national broadband network admin Ansuli Arya dated May 2, seen by ETT, BBNL chairman Sarvesh Singh said to USOF that CSC has violated a tripartite agreement and shifted equipment in multiple states with none disclosure.

Some of the items intimating the small print of shifted location and therefore the new custodian is often in violation of clause 2.8.2 of the tripartite agreement,” Singh in his letter to the highest official said that CSC or Digital Seva Kendra’s demand for the unconditional universal permission to shift the equipment to village-level entrepreneurs (VLE) premises in every village block couldn’t be prescribed.

As there was a large-scale shift in last-mile equipment happening to empower local entrepreneurs, which consistent with industry sources would also impact hardware warranty.

VLE may be a localized village-level private entity performing on a franchisee model for the delivery of e-Governance services.

In case of unchecked shifting, even with best intentions, CSC wouldn’t be ready to comply to handing out infrastructure to the fund administrator during a working condition which may be transferred to a personal service provider in future Bharat Broadband to USOF

After shifting the equipment to VLE premises are going to be a hindrance within the achievement of an equivalent,” the SPV within the letter said and added the CSC should come up with a transparent standard procedure (SOP).

As in a tripartite agreement to means deployment of Wi-Fi access points in 103,241 village blocks under the BharatNet – I, providing FTTH connections to 5 public institutions which will be charged after a year-long free service.

Each hotspot has been approved at a price of Rs 80,000 with two in each village block so as to utilize the last-mile infrastructure created under the BharaNet-I.

BBNL further said that just in case of unchecked shifting, even with best intentions, CSC wouldn’t be ready to comply to handing out infrastructure to the fund administrator during a working condition that may be transferred to a personal service provider in future.

Therefore under the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Ministry of Electronics and knowledge Technology (MeitY) respectively. The USOF may be a Rs 50,000 crore strong corpus aimed to bridge the digital divide in India’s rural and remote regions.

Until March 31, 2020, BBNL has deployed 432,952 kilometers of optical fiber cable connecting 1,51,729 village blocks that included 138,409 service-ready blocks.

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