India's rural broadband push took a concrete step in Telangana on Friday, November 6, as Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN) under the Department of Telecommunications signed an agreement to implement the Amended BharatNet Programme in the state under the state-led model. The agreement was signed at Sanchar Bhawan in New Delhi between DBN, the Government of Telangana, the Telangana Rural Internet Infrastructure Corporation Limited (TRIICL), Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and the Telangana Fiber Grid Corporation Limited (T-Fiber), in the presence of Shyamal Misra, Administrator of Digital Bharat Nidhi, the Press Information Bureau said.

Source: Press Information Bureau, Government of India

The programme's total scope in Telangana is 12,769 gram panchayats. Of these, 1,946 panchayats covered in Phase I of BharatNet will be upgraded from linear to ring topology to make the network more resilient, 10,787 Phase II panchayats will be covered, and 36 newly created gram panchayats are being included, according to the ANI report of the signing.

Source: ANI via Daily Prabhat

12,769Gram panchayats covered in Telangana
Rs 3,189 croreCentral financial support approved
3 lakhRural home fibre connections expected
1,946Phase I panchayats upgraded to ring topology

The Government of India has approved financial support of Rs 3,189 crore for implementing the programme in Telangana. The project will be implemented through TRIICL, and the initiative is expected to facilitate around three lakh rural home fibre connections with subsidy support from the Centre, extending digital services to rural and remote areas of the state.

Source: Press Information Bureau, Government of India

The Amended BharatNet Programme itself was approved by the Union Cabinet on August 4, 2023, with the objective of upgrading, consolidating and expanding the existing BharatNet network so that broadband connectivity reaches all gram panchayats and villages on demand. Friday's signing converts that national approval into a state-level implementation contract for Telangana.

What the agreement does not yet mean is a working connection at any particular home: it announces the scope, the money and the implementing agency. Actual household availability, tariffs and connection timelines will depend on execution on the ground by TRIICL and its partners — the milestone villagers will judge the programme by in the months ahead.