New Delhi, February 23 – Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia announced a game-changing push for rural connectivity in Andhra Pradesh through the revised BharatNet initiative. This ambitious $16.9 billion public-funded program aims to blanket every village in India, including Andhra Pradesh, with optical fiber cables and high-speed broadband access.
In a significant step forward, a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) was signed between the Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN), Department of Telecommunications, and the Andhra Pradesh government. This pact is designed to accelerate the implementation of the Revised BharatNet Program (RBP) in the state.
Scindia emphasized the transformative power of technology, stating, ‘We are democratizing technology for every citizen in the country. In our generation, technology has empowered individual talent, ambition, and dreams to reach global platforms.’
Union Minister of State Dr. Pemmasani Chandrasekhar highlighted the agreement’s role in providing a structured framework for swift and sustainable execution under a state-led model. It ensures accountability alongside financial support, strengthening connectivity right up to the last mile, expanding 4G services, and delivering affordable, reliable digital services to rural residents.
The collaboration sets up a comprehensive framework for rapid expansion of the program. The state government has committed full support for right-of-way permissions, infrastructure access, and necessary coordination to expedite rollout.
Most funding will come from DBN, with the state contributing as per mutual agreement. The resulting network will be leveraged by the state for maximum social and economic impact.
The central government has approved Rs 2,432 crore in financial assistance for Andhra Pradesh. This is expected to connect over 500,000 rural households with fiber, bolstering digital governance, improving citizen services, and promoting online education, digital payments, e-governance, and telemedicine in rural and remote areas.