Digital Bharat Nidhi: Govt releases draft rules, seeks public feedback

The Department of Telecommunication released draft rules on Thursday prescribing how the Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN) — which replaced the Universal Service Obligation Fund — will be administered for a 30-day public consultation.

The DBN was established through the Telecommunications Act, 2023, passed by Parliament and received presidential assent in December. The USOF was established to provide telecom services in remote and rural areas at affordable prices through a universal access levy, a percentage of revenue earned by operators under various licences.