TSSC partners CSC to train 1 lakh rural youth for the maintenance of BharatNet

Telecom Sector Skill Council (TSSC) has joined hands with Common Services Centers (CSC) to train 1 lakh CSC village level entrepreneurs and rural youth for the maintenance of optical fiber under BharatNet across the country. This will ensure availability of reliable Internet to citizens in rural areas, enabling their participation in digital governance and economy.

The training will be conducted through CSC Academy, the education and CSR wing of CSC, and will focus on acquiring knowledge about optical fiber applications, splicing of optical fiber, installation of optical fiber cables, and entrepreneurship and soft skills. Training will be imparted through an online mode with both self-paced modules as well as live classes. TSSC will provide certification to the trainees after an online assessment.

In July 2019, CSC was entrusted with the responsibility of Operation & Maintenance (O&M) of BharatNet optical fiber cable, First Line Maintenance (FLM) of equipment and providing last mile connectivity through Wi-Fi. Since then, Fiber Restoration Teams comprising more than 10,000 rural youth have been trained and mobilized for the BharatNet maintenance through CSC.

With the announcement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to connect every village across the nation with optical fiber in the coming 1,000 days, CSC is gearing up to provide Fiber to the Home (FTTH) broadband Internet connectivity to all villages.

Arvind Bali, CEO, TSSC, said, “With a growing national interest in fiberisation, there has been an increase in demand for skills and jobs that are needed for this infrastructure and related services. It is our endeavor to support the government’s vision for a digitally connected nation and an ‘Atma Nirbhar’ Bharat. Fibersation is the backbone of digital infrastructure that is needed to drive this vision, particularly in the rural areas.”

Elaborating on the training, Sanjay Kumar Rakesh, CEO, CSC SPV, said, “Through this partnership, we plan to raise a pool of skilled VLEs and rural youth who will provide last-mile optical fiber connectivity across the country under the BharatNet programme. This will also generate employment opportunities in rural India and contribute towards Government’s mission of a self-reliant India.”

Alok Vardhan Chaturvedi, CEO, CSC Wi-Fi Choupal Services India, said, “CSC Wi-Fi Choupal has been entrusted with the maintenance of optical fiber in 1,18,121 Gram Panchayats across the country since 2019. As many as 10,000 VLEs and rural youth have been providing maintenance services across these GPs. With this partnership, we will be able to enhance the number of skilled workers for optical fiber maintenance, ensuring uninterrupted Internet connectivity in rural areas.”