In a significant stride towards digital inclusion, Tamil Nadu’s Minister for Information Technology and Digital Services, Palanivel Thiaga Rajan, announced on Thursday that Chief Minister M.K. Stalin is set to connect with approximately 10,000 villages on October 11. This interaction will take place through the BharatNet-Tamil Nadu Fibrenet Corporation Ltd (Tanfinet) network, marking the first comprehensive state-wide connectivity test for this ambitious project.
The BharatNet initiative, supported by the Union government and spearheaded by Tanfinet, aims to link 12,525 Gram Panchayats across Tamil Nadu via Optical Fiber Cable (OFC). The Minister highlighted the progress during a media briefing in Chennai.
“The project’s implementation has been divided into four geographical packages (A, B, C & D). While packages A, B, and C are now complete, package D has faced delays due to challenges with our partner, ITI Ltd., a public sector undertaking,” explained Mr. Thiaga Rajan.
To date, an impressive 11,800 villages have been brought under the project’s umbrella. “The full network infrastructure is in place for 10,000 villages, allowing the Chief Minister to address the grama sabha meetings this Saturday using this robust backbone. We’ve even enabled two-way communication in some of these connected communities,” the Minister elaborated.
He also mentioned his recent meeting with Union Minister for Communications, Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, where he requested the release of pending funds totaling ₹600 crore for the project and urged ITI Ltd. to accelerate its efforts.
Furthermore, Mr. Thiaga Rajan detailed the state government’s approval for the “Last Mile Connectivity Project,” a fibre-to-home initiative budgeted at ₹184 Crore, operating under a franchisee model. Initially, there was limited interest in certain areas.
“We’ve now decided to actively partner with the initiative, selecting two franchisees per district to ensure widespread village coverage. This partnership will feature a 50% revenue share model. Our plans include offering affordable monthly internet packages, starting from just ₹199, with speeds ranging from 10 Mbps to 200 Mbps,” he stated. The state has also sought financial backing from the Central government for this endeavor.
In another exciting development, the Tamil Nadu Technology (iTNT) Hub formalized a Letter of Intent (LoI) with The University of Melbourne on Thursday. This collaboration aims to foster deeper ties between Tamil Nadu’s burgeoning innovation ecosystem and the University’s research network. The LoI is designed to establish a long-term partnership, supporting a diverse range of stakeholders including researchers, students, startups, innovators, companies, and investors. The ultimate goal is to cultivate a comprehensive ecosystem that drives advancements in innovation between Australia and India.
The LoI was formally exchanged by Professor Michael Wesley, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Global, Culture and Engagement) of The University of Melbourne, and Ms. Vanitha Venugopal, CEO of iTNT Hub, with Minister Thiaga Rajan presiding over the event.