National Broadband Mission, 2020

This National Broadband Mission has been launched by The Ministry of Communications, which will fulfil the dream of many rural and remote areas people to access broadband services. Its main aim is to universalize the access of broadband services across the country equitably mainly in rural and remote areas. This mission is also part of the National Digital Communications Policy, 2018. The main objective behind this mission is to bridge the gap of digitalization divide at rural and urban areas, it will set the tone for universalization of broadband access to all as there is so much disparity among students in urban areas and students in rural areas, so in these Covid-19 time it becomes more important to implement the mission very urgently as classes are conducting through an online platform, network not works properly in villages so makes conditions of rural areas more derogatory. In today’s world, if we say we need food, shelter, clothing, it will be incomplete as the internet is the necessity in changing the world as access to the internet is the fundamental right. It will not be wrong if we include the internet in ‘Food, shelter, clothing and internet’. This mission can do wonders for any developing country as we can see the examples set by our countries like Aadhar Card and UPI digital transactions. It has to be mentioned there scheme of BharatNet broadband services have already reached 142,000 village blocks, and the latest mission offers broadband access to all by 2022 including post offices, Prisons, Parks, schools and remotely located hospitals.

Importance of National Broadband Mission –

We have discussed above that we need food, shelter, shelter and Internet’, so we need proper connection, efficient number of towers, optical fibre. This mission is important in many ways as follows-

1. It aims to provide broadband access to all villages by 2022.
2. It will significantly increase the quality and affordability of services for internet and mobile.
3. Under this mission, Broadband Readiness Index (BRI) will be released, which will measure the conduct of availability of digital communications infrastructure and conductive policy ecosystem within a state and Union Territory.
4. The main objective is to create a digital fibre map through technology available to us. We have to be more advanced in terms of technology.
5. There will be more focus on digital Communications networks which includes towers, Wi-Fi, optical fibre cables across the nation.
6. There will increase in the number of the tower, at present we have 0.42 number of towers per thousand populations. Still, it will increase up to 1.0 number of towers per thousand of the population on an average, so the density of towers will increase up to two times.
7. There will be laying of optical fibre which will cover 30 lakhs km distance approximately to have better connectivity.
8. This mission will ensure proper coordination between centre and state regarding policies required for expansion of digital infrastructure which also includes for the right to way approvals required by centre for laying of optical fibre cable to states. Communication matters are very much part of the Union list. Still, as we have a federal structure, so the role of the state in implementing centre policy becomes even more important.
9. Under this mission, there will be Seven Lakh Crore Ru. Investment by stakeholders which also includes Seventy Thousand Crore Ru. from Universal Service Obligation Fund.

Conclusion-

Proper implementation of National Broadband Mission will put India in a win-win situation as in India statically more than 70% population of India lives in villages and conditions of the village are improving but not up to the mark so, internet connectivity can be the medium to connect any rural area if remotely located even. Further, to illustrate more, broadband access will also solve the problem of less speed, no connectivity as there will be twice the number of towers that we have at present. There will be more laying of optical fibre cable, which will help India in many ways, as it will help India in boosting the economy to 5 trillion dollars. There will no criteria to judge rural student as rural and grant any short of relief as all students across the country will get equal connectivity, an interesting fact is that there will be more E-village than E-cities or smart cities and people in many area take the benefits of any government policy through direct application of technology through broadband access. The importance of Broadband access can be understood by the example of covid-19 that how everything turned digitally, surely this pandemic has taught us many lessons, and we need to learn and work upon it continuously.