USOF signs agreement with BSNL for hiring 10Gbps international bandwidth for Internet Connectivity

The Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) has signed an agreement with state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) on 18th August 2021 for the hiring of 10 Gbps international bandwidth for internet connectivity to Agartala from Bangladesh Submarine Cable Company Limited (BSCCL), Bangladesh via Cox Bazar/Kuakata. The agreement has been signed with the aim to make high-quality and high-speed internet access to the North Eastern Region of the country.

Commenting on the development, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw said, “Citizens will get high-speed internet connectivity for better access to e-services in the North-Eastern states.”

USOF will provide financial support to BSNL for a period of three years for hiring the aforesaid international bandwidth. under the agreement. The availability of high-speed internet access will help the citizens in accessing various e-services such as e-governance, e-education, e-health, e-commerce, e-banking, etc.

In other news, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) recently issued a Gazette notification for the provisioning of submarine optical fiber cable connectivity between mainland Kochi and Lakshwadeep Islands. The project approved by the Cabinet last year will be funded by the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF).