DoT overrules pvt contractors’ objections, gives CSC nod to complete fibre, WiFi work

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has for now overruled objections by private contractors and asked the Common Service Centres (CSC) to complete the work of providing fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) and WiFi connections from the panchayat level to individual homes.

“So far CSCs have completed providing 1 lakh FTTH connections, and the target has been set at five lakh connections by September end. The DoT does not want work to be hampered due to red tape. So for phase one, CSCs have been given the go ahead,” an official close to the development said.

These connections, being provided by Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology’s (MeitY’s) CSC under BharatNet phase one, had faced stiff opposition from private contractors who had approached the DoT with allegations that CSCs were exercising monopoly by providing services at unviable costs.