Connectivity is necessary but not sufficient for digital inclusion. Evaluate with reference to BharatNet and Samriddh Gram Centres.

Digital inclusion means that citizens can use digital networks for services, income and access to government, not just that a cable reaches them. India's model, which it presented at ITU PP-26 (Doha, 2026), runs in two steps: first build the network (BharatNet), then deliver services over it (Samriddh Gram Centres) [1]. Audit evidence supports the claim. Connectivity is the base, but usage and services decide whether people are included.

Connectivity is necessary: BharatNet

• Public investment where private operators won't go: about $15 bn has gone into rural broadband, which commercial operators do not find profitable [1].
• Wide reach: CAG found 96.70% of Gram Panchayats "service-ready" by November 2025 [2]. That is the minimum base any rural e-service needs.
• Global equity: 2.2 bn people worldwide are still offline. Without last-mile fibre, no later step is possible [1].

But not sufficient: the gap between "built" and "used"

• Low use: only 17.91% of bandwidth was used [2], and only about 30% of GPs had a functional connection (February 2026) [3].
• Weak reliability: faults took 17 days on average to repair, and work was abandoned in 16,271 GPs [2].
• Idle assets: dark fibre (laid but unused cable) went unleased because states had no leasing policy or decided late [2]. Only 766 GPs had active Wi-Fi hotspots, and BharatNet funds have been underspent since 2022-23 [4].

Samriddh Gram: the missing service layer

• It offers healthcare, agricultural advice, banking and government certificates under one roof. This turns bandwidth into services people value [1].
• It won a WSIS Prize, which shows that service delivery, not cable length, measures inclusion [1].
• Limitation: it relies on BharatNet's uptime. A service centre cannot run on a line that is down for weeks.

Verdict: The statement is largely valid. BharatNet is a necessary base, but on its own it has produced "connectivity without utility."

In short, the network creates the possibility of inclusion and services make it real. The way forward is to follow the Standing Committee's call for a state-wise performance audit, more household connections and leasing of unused capacity [3], to set time-bound repair standards, and to scale Samriddh Gram-type centres. A rural network that is actually used would advance SDG 9.c (universal, affordable internet access) and the constitutional promise of equal access to the State.