Telecomm Fund Linked to Tamil Nadu Users thru Network

· Agreement Signed: Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN), Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Government of Tamil Nadu and Tamil Nadu FibreNet Corporation (TANFINET) signed an agreement for utilisation of the BharatNet network under the Amended BharatNet Programme (ABP).

· Financial Support: Government of India approved subsidy support for utilisation of the BharatNet network in Tamil Nadu.

· Rural Connectivity: The agreement aims to facilitate more than 5 lakh rural household fibre (FTTH) connections in Tamil Nadu.

· Village Connectivity: On-demand broadband connectivity will be provided to 4,767 villages across the State.

· Objectives: Strengthen rural digital infrastructure and improve access to e-Governance, online education, telemedicine, digital payments and other citizen-centric services.

· Background: The Union Cabinet approved the Amended BharatNet Programme on 4 August 2023 to upgrade, consolidate and expand the existing BharatNet network and provide broadband connectivity to Gram Panchayats and villages on demand.

· DBN: Digital Bharat Nidhi, formerly known as the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF), functions under the Department of Telecommunications to promote telecom services in underserved rural, remote and urban areas.

[ABS News Service/31.10.2026]

In a significant step towards strengthening digital infrastructure and accelerating broadband connectivity across rural Tamil Nadu, Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN) under Department of Telecommunications (DoT) signed a Utilisation Agreement for connecting the rural households under Amended BharatNet Program (ABP) in the State under the State-led model today at Sanchar Bhawan, New Delhi.

The Agreement was signed between Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN), DoT; Government of Tamil Nadu; and Tamil Nadu FibreNet Corporation (TANFINET) for Utilisation of BharatNet Network in Tamil Nadu under ABP.

The Agreement signing ceremony was held in the august presence of Shyamal Misra, Administrator, Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN), Department of Telecommunications. The ceremony was also attended by Atul Anand, Additional Chief Secretary, Artificial intelligence, Information Technology and Digital services department, Government of Tamilnadu (through video conferencing); Papa Sudhakara Rao, Director (Enterprise Business), Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited; Smt. V. Vallidevi, General Manager (Projects), Tamil Nadu FibreNet Corporation and Dinesh Kumar Garg, DDG (ABP Implementation-I), Department of Telecommunications, along with senior officers of DoT, DBN and BSNL.

The Union Cabinet had approved the Amended BharatNet Program on 4^th August 2023 with the objective of upgrading, consolidating and expanding the existing BharatNet network to ensure robust and future-ready broadband connectivity to all Gram Panchayats and villages on demand basis.

The Government of India has approved financial subsidy support for utilisation of BharatNet network under Amended BharatNet Program. The initiative is expected to facilitate more than five lakh rural home fibre connections in the state of Tamil Nadu with financial support from the Government of India and significantly enhance delivery of digital services including e-Governance, online education, telemedicine, digital payments and citizen-centric services across rural and remote areas of the State. In addition, 4,767 villages in the state of Tamil Nadu will be provided connectivity on a demand basis to strengthen last-mile connectivity.

The Agreement signed today is expected to accelerate execution of the Program in Tamil Nadu and further advance the vision of a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy.

About Digital Bharat Nidhi

Digital Bharat Nidhi (erstwhile USOF) was established under the Indian Telegraph (Amendment) Act, 2003 w.e.f. 01.04.2002. As per ‘The Telecommunications Act, 2023’ the Universal Service Obligation Fund, has become the Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN). The DBN has mandate to support universal service through promoting access and delivery of telecommunication service in underserved rural, remote and urban areas. It is an attached office of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Ministry of Communications.

In order to achieve objectives of DBN, it covers various schemes and projects including BharatNet, 4G Saturation Project, Provision of Mobile Service in uncovered areas of Aspirational Districts, Mobile Services in Left Wing Extremist Areas, Mobile Services in Himalayan and Border areas, Mobile Services in Islands and Mobile Services in North Eastern Areas.