Odisha to launch high‑speed broadband for 50,000 villages under BharatNet Phase‑III

The government of Odisha signed two Memorandums of Understanding to accelerate its digital infrastructure. A tripartite MoU between Digital Bharat Nidhi, the state’s Electronics and IT Department, the Centre’s Department of Telecommunications and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) will drive the rollout of the BharatNet Phase‑III programme, upgrading 6,799 gram panchayats with IP‑MPLS ring topology and extending fiber‑to‑the‑home (FTTH) to nearly 50,000 villages.

A second MoU links the Odisha Computer Application Centre with the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C‑DAC) to cooperate on emerging technologies, research and digital governance. The project, funded with an investment of ₹3,184 crore, will be built, operated and maintained by BSNL under a DBOM model and is slated for completion by 2029. Officials expect the network to improve access to education, tele‑medicine, e‑governance, digital financial services and other citizen‑centric applications across rural Odisha.