India Signs Amended BharatNet Phase III Agreement for Jharkhand, Targeting 26,777 Villages

Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN, under the Department of Telecommunications), the Government of Jharkhand, Jharkhand Digital Infrastructure Corporation Limited (JDICL), BSNL and Jharkhand Communication Network Limited signed an agreement on September 10, 2026 at Sanchar Bhawan, New Delhi to implement the Amended BharatNet Programme (Phase III) in Jharkhand under the state-led model. The plan extends fibre-based broadband across 260 blocks, 4,395 gram panchayats and 26,777 non-GP villages, prioritizing government institutions and underserved rural households. It follows the national BharatNet build-out, which had made roughly 2.17 lakh gram panchayats service-ready nationwide as of February 2026.