In 5 years, J&K leased 165 km of dark fibre: GoI in Parl

Srinagar, July 24: The Government of India has revealed that 165 kilometers of dark fibre have been leased out in Jammu and Kashmir under the BharatNet project, generating a total revenue of Rs 6.88 lakh in the last five years.The information was shared by Union Minister of State for Communications Dr. Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar in response to a question in the Lok Sabha. The Minister said that although no central survey has been conducted on dark fibre connectivity, such infrastructure is being provided across India through telecom service providers and infrastructure companies as per license terms.In Jammu and Kashmir, the dark fibre leasing is part of the BharatNet project, which aims to expand broadband access in rural and remote areas. The project is implemented through the Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN), with infrastructure made available to private companies and operators on lease.According to the reply, seven private entities have been granted dark fibre leases in J&K, including companies like Crazy Cable Network, Anantnag Cable Network, Nextel, Jasrotia Cable Network, and Kashmir Digital Entertainment Network.While Punjab topped the national chart by generating Rs 3.28 crore from dark fibre leasing, Jammu and Kashmir’s earnings were modest at just Rs 6.88 lakh over five years, placing it among the lower-revenue states. For comparison, states like Uttarakhand and Bihar generated over Rs 46 lakh and Rs 46 lakh respectively, while Gujarat collected Rs 25.7 lakh.The total dark fibre leased under the BharatNet project across India stands at 1,10,911 kilometers as of June 2025.