Report of the Committee on National Optical Fibre Network Over the last few years, the NOFN project has fallen far behind its planned schedule. The committee has analysed the causes in some detail, and interacted with those concerned to try and understand the reasons for the delays. Based on this, the report makes specific recommendations regarding alternative models of implementation, taking into account the diversity of the country, the varying contexts, and the differing capabilities of various States in this field. It has also kept in mind the need to tap the expertise of the private sector.
The overall planning of such a complex and large project is not an easy task. Taking note of the experience and difficulties encountered so far, the report has made specific recommendations regarding the organisation structure and management of the project, and the roles of various entities. The report also integrates disparate efforts for connectivity across Departments of Government – National Information Infrastructure, Government User Network, improvements in State Wide Area Networks, for example - who have each tried to fill in a piece of the jigsaw without the larger puzzle being visualised. The totality of the exercise contemplated can be conceivably designed to operate in the mission mode. These considerations have prompted the committee to suggest a high-level mechanism for promoting a joint Centre-State thrust for this project, in keeping with the spirit of cooperative federalism. BharatNet has been conceived uniting the tremendous capacities of the Centre, the State and the private sector collaborating to deliver the dream of Digital India.