India announces support to Bhutan to establish third international internet gateway

The Embassy of India in Bhutan revealed on Tuesday that the Indian government has announced its support to Bhutan for the establishment of the third international internet gateway.

On Tuesday, the Indian Embassy in Thimphu released a statement and stated that the Indian government will be facilitating a “concessional rate to bring down the cost of operations of the gateway.” The consulate also announced that the initiative is a part of the expanding India-Bhutan digital partnership. 

“The Government of India is pleased to support the Royal Government of Bhutan for the establishment of the third international internet gateway for Bhutan,” the Tuesday statement reads.

“In this regard, the Government of India will be facilitating a concessional rate to bring down the cost of operations of the gateway. The gateway is expected to enhance redundancy, connect remote pockets of Bhutan, increase internet bandwidth, and reduce the cost of internet connectivity for users.” the embassy added in the statement.

The initiative will increase the bandwidth and reduce the cost of Internet connectivity in Bhutan. The embassy also informed that the initiative will be taken under Butan’s Flagship Program “Digital Drukyul”.  

Indian government is contributing Rs 198 crore to support Bhutan’s digital transformation

The embassy stated that under the "Digital Drukyul" program an optical fibre backbone has been provided across 20 districts of Bhutan. The statement also talked about the collaboration established between India’s National Knowledge Network (NKN) and Bhutan’s Druk Research and Education Network (DrukREN). The collaboration will benefit the users in Bhutan in the fields of telemedicine services, research and education. 

The embassy also asserted that the Government of India is contributing around Rs 198 crore during the 12th Five-Year Plan (2018-2023). The Indian government is investing a whopping sum to support Bhutan’s digital transformation through several similar projects. “The Government of India is committed to further strengthening its close ties of friendship and cooperation with Bhutan across all sectors, including in the technology domain, in keeping with the priorities of the people and the Royal Government of Bhutan,” the embassy concluded in the statement.