AP signs amended deal for BharatNet Project
Under this, fiber connectivity will be provided to 5 lakh homes
Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh has set an ambitious target of providing high-speed fiber internet connections to five lakh rural households under the amended BharatNet Project (BNP). A Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) was signed in the presence of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia at the Chief Minister’s camp office here on Sunday.
The centre has agreed to release Rs 2,432 crore for implementing the project in the state. To execute ABNP, the state government has formed a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) named Andhra Pradesh BharatNet Infrastructure Limited (APBIL). The project will be funded jointly by the Digital Bharat Nidhi and the state Government. Under the plan, broadband connectivity will be strengthened across 13,426 village panchayats. This includes upgrading networks in 1,692 phase-I panchayats, completing connectivity in 11,254 phase-II villages, and extending services to 480 newly formed gram panchayats.
Demand-based last-mile connectivity will also be enhanced in 3,942 villages.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister emphasised that digital connectivity is essential for delivering governance, online education, telemedicine, digital payments, and over 900 government services through WhatsApp. He highlighted the state’s push toward AI, blockchain-secured land records, and upcoming quantum computing initiatives in Amaravati.
Naidu expressed confidence that under Scindia’s leadership, BSNL has the potential to emerge as the country’s number one network. The initiative, he said, will accelerate Andhra Pradesh’s march toward Viksit Bharat 2047 by empowering rural communities with world-class digital infrastructure.
