Hyderabad : Tata Projects Limited’s “Smart Cities Business Unit” has been awarded the Rs 3,057 crore Bharat Net project in Chhattisgarh.

The project involves laying of optical fibre network that follows ring architecture with Internet Protocol — Multi Protocol Label Switching (IP-MPLS) technology, the Hyderabad-based infrastructure company said on Thursday.

The implementation period for the project is 12 months from starting of work. Conceived under the Digital India initiative the project will link 85 blocks and 5,987 gram panchayats across the 27 districts in the state by providing broadband and mobile phone connectivity.

Chhattisgarh has the lowest mobile network penetration at 29 per cent, whereas the national average is 72 per cent. About 2.6 crore people of the state will directly benefit from it, the company said.

Tata Projects will lay 48 core Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) Network across the state covering 32,466 km.

With the completion of this project, high speed broadband between 1Gbps to 10 Gbps will be provided free of cost through Wi-Fi spots at each gram panchayat which will enable people to leverage the benefits of internet in their daily life.

Tata Projects Limited’s Managing Director Vinayak Deshpande said that once the project is completed it will help in strengthening Chattisgarh’s economy and enable people to lead their lives with much ease.

—IANS