Centre approves ₹2,432 crore BharatNet rollout for Andhra Pradesh rural broadband push
The Centre on Wednesday approved financial support of ₹2,432 crore for the rollout of the Amended BharatNet Programme (ABP) in Andhra Pradesh, aimed at expanding broadband connectivity and strengthening rural telecom infrastructure across the state.
An agreement for implementation of the programme under the state-led model was signed at Sanchar Bhawan in New Delhi between Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN) under the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), the Andhra Pradesh government, Andhra Pradesh BharatNet Infrastructure Limited (APBIL), Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited and Andhra Pradesh State FiberNet Limited (APSFL).
The programme will cover 13,426 Gram Panchayats across Andhra Pradesh, including the upgradation of 1,692 Phase-I Gram Panchayats from linear to ring topology to improve network resilience. It will also include coverage of 11,254 Phase-II Gram Panchayats and 480 newly created Gram Panchayats.
In addition, 3,942 villages will receive connectivity on a demand basis to strengthen last-mile broadband access in rural and remote areas.
Officials said the initiative is expected to facilitate more than five lakh rural home fibre connections and improve access to digital services such as e-governance, telemedicine, online education and digital payments.
The agreement was signed in the presence of DBN Administrator Shyamal Misra, Director General (Telecom) Anand Khare, APBIL CEO Geetanjali Sharma, BSNL Director (Enterprise Business) Papa Sudhakara Rao and senior officials from DoT, DBN and BSNL.
The Union Cabinet had approved the Amended BharatNet Programme in August 2023 to upgrade and expand the BharatNet network and provide future-ready broadband connectivity to all Gram Panchayats and villages on demand.
Digital Bharat Nidhi, formerly known as the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF), functions under the Ministry of Communications and supports telecom connectivity projects in underserved rural, remote and border regions across the country.
