BharatNet Amended Program (ABP) status for connecting and upgrading Gram Panchayats
Amended BharatNet Program (ABP) status for connecting and upgrading Gram Panchayats (GPs)
- The Government of India approved ABP on 04.08.2023 for upgrading Gram Panchayats in ring topology for high-speed internet services.
- The Government reports BharatNet Phase-I and Phase-II connectivity for 2,14,912 GPs against a plan to connect 2,65,014 GPs nationwide.
- The Government reports 13,494 Gram Panchayats upgraded under ABP for high-speed internet services as of June 2026.
- The Government reports supporting 4G coverage in villages uncovered by Telecom Service Providers.
What happened
The Government of India approved the Amended BharatNet Program (ABP) on 04.08.2023 for upgrading all Gram Panchayats (GPs) in ring topology for high-speed internet services. The government reports that BharatNet Phase-I and Phase-II connected 2,14,912 GPs out of a plan to connect 2,65,014 GPs. As of June 2026, the government reports 13,494 GPs upgraded under ABP.
Background and earlier position
UPSC can frame rural broadband as a policy delivery chain: connectivity roll-out to GPs, upgrade pathway for service performance (high-speed internet at the GP level), and complementary coverage expansion through 4G where gaps remain. The issue is testable as a GS3 policy design-and-execution question and as a GS2 governance capacity question, while answers must stay within the evidence on counts and stated upgrade intent.
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