Telangana’s Digital Leap: 3 Lakh Rural Homes to Get High-Speed Fibre
Telangana is expanding rural broadband with Rs 3,189 crore for the Amended BharatNet Programme, connecting 12,769 Gram Panchayats.
In a massive push to bridge the digital divide, Telangana is set to undergo a sweeping transformation of its rural internet landscape. The Central Government has approved a financial package of Rs 3,189 crore to implement the Amended BharatNet Programme across the state, a move that will bring high-speed broadband to 12,769 Gram Panchayats and facilitate approximately three lakh rural home fibre connections.
The roadmap for this digital expansion was formalized on Friday through a comprehensive agreement. The deal was signed between the Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN) under the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), the Telangana state government, the Telangana Rural Internet Infrastructure Corporation Limited (TRIICL), Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), and the Telangana Fibre Grid Corporation Limited (T-Fibre).
A State-Led Model for Rural Connectivity
The project will be executed through TRIICL under a state-led implementation model. The primary goal is to not only expand the reach of the internet but to significantly strengthen the resilience of the existing telecom infrastructure and ensure that broadband connectivity reaches the "last mile" in remote areas.
The Blueprint of Expansion
The Amended BharatNet Programme in Telangana is divided into strategic phases to ensure no village is left behind:
- Network Upgrades: 1,946 Gram Panchayats that were already covered under Phase I of BharatNet will be upgraded. These will move from a linear topology to a ring topology, a technical shift designed to make the network more stable and resilient against outages.
- Phase II Expansion: An additional 10,787 Gram Panchayats will be brought under the network umbrella.
- New Additions: The plan includes 36 newly created Gram Panchayats, bringing the total coverage to 12,769.
Empowering Rural Citizens via Digital Access
Beyond the cables and hardware, the real impact of this Rs 3,189 crore investment lies in the services it will unlock for rural residents. With subsidy support from the Centre, the government expects three lakh homes to gain fibre access, opening the doors to a variety of essential digital services:
- E-Governance: Faster access to government schemes and administrative services.
- Education & Health: A boost for online learning platforms and telemedicine, bringing expert healthcare to remote villages.
- Financial Inclusion: Seamless digital payments and banking services for the rural population.
The Bigger Picture: Digital Bharat Nidhi
The agreement was signed in the presence of Shyamal Misra, Administrator of Digital Bharat Nidhi, along with senior officials from BSNL and the Department of Telecommunications. The Digital Bharat Nidhi—previously known as the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF)—is the engine driving the expansion of telecom services into the most underserved rural and urban pockets of India.
This initiative stems from the Union Cabinet's approval of the Amended BharatNet Programme on August 4, 2023. The overarching objective is to create a future-ready broadband network that can provide connectivity to every Gram Panchayat and village on demand, ensuring that the benefits of the digital age are not restricted to urban centers.