Tripartite MoU signed among USOF, Prasar Bharati and ONDC

The Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) under the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has entered a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Prasar Bharati, under the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, and the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), a Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) initiative of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce & Industry. This collaboration aims to expand affordable and accessible digital services across rural India, leveraging the BharatNet infrastructure under USOF.

Signatories and Witness:

• The MoU was signed in the presence of Dr. Neeraj Mittal, Secretary (Telecom); Shri Niraj Verma, Administrator, USOF; Shri T Koshy, MD & CEO, ONDC; Shri A K Jha, ADG, Platforms, Prasar Bharati; and Shri Sunil Kumar Verma, Joint Secretary, DoT.

Objectives of the MoU:

Connectivity, Content, and Commerce Synergy: Foster a conducive environment for digital innovation by bundling broadband services with OTT and e-commerce platforms to empower rural India.

Roles and Responsibilities:

1. USOF: Ensure efficient and high-speed broadband services in rural and remote areas, leveraging the BharatNet infrastructure.
2. Prasar Bharati: Source and produce content for its OTT platform, including linear channels, Live TV, and on-demand content, leveraging its unparalleled legacy content and brand recall.
3. ONDC: Provide technical expertise and necessary framework for enabling digital commerce in products & services, expanding to cover sectors like education, health, training, credit, insurance, and agriculture.