The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is targeting completion of the National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN) project by June 2016. The earlier targets set by the government in this project was to connect 250,000 gram panchayats through broadband by March 2017. 

The revision of NOFN targets comes after the unveiling of the Digital India initiative. DoT is now seeking views from the NOFN implementation agency, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) on the feasibility of completion of the project by June 2016. BSNL is expected to submit details of its plan to complete the project to the telecom secretary on August 29, 2014. 

The Digital India initiative seeks to deliver various social and economic services over broadband by 2019. It aims at overcoming barriers in delivering key government services, especially to far-flung and remote areas, through the information highway. The initiative combines a string of government schemes with an estimated cost of Rs 1,130 billion.