Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN) under the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) on 6 November 2026 signed an agreement with the Government of Telangana, Telangana Rural Internet Infrastructure Corporation Limited (TRIICL), Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and Telangana Fiber Grid Corporation Limited (T-Fiber) at Sanchar Bhawan, New Delhi, to implement the Amended BharatNet Program (ABP) in Telangana under the state-led model, with ₹3,189 crore in central financial support.
The Telangana BharatNet rollout will cover 12,769 Gram Panchayats and is expected to enable about three lakh rural home fibre connections with Government of India subsidy support, strengthening e-governance, online education, telemedicine, digital payments and citizen services in rural areas. It follows earlier national steps such as BharatNet to open up to private ISPs to fix the rural last-mile broadband gap.
What the Amended BharatNet Program covers in Telangana
According to the Press Information Bureau release (PRID 2333683), the Union Cabinet approved the Amended BharatNet Program on 4 August 2023 to upgrade, consolidate and expand BharatNet so Gram Panchayats and villages can get robust, future-ready broadband on demand. In Telangana the project will be implemented through TRIICL. The 12,769 Gram Panchayat scope includes:
- Upgrade of 1,946 Phase I Gram Panchayats from linear to ring topology for higher network resilience.
- Coverage of 10,787 Phase II Gram Panchayats.
- Inclusion of 36 newly created Gram Panchayats.
The Centre has approved ₹3,189 crore for the package. Officials expect the build to unlock roughly three lakh subsidised rural home fibre connections.
Who signed the Telangana BharatNet agreement
The agreement was executed among Digital Bharat Nidhi (DoT), the Government of Telangana, TRIICL, BSNL and T-Fiber. The ceremony was held in the presence of Shri Shyamal Misra, Administrator, Digital Bharat Nidhi; Shri Anudeep Durishetty, Joint Secretary, IT E&C Department, Government of Telangana; Shri Papa Sudhakara Rao, Director (Enterprise Business), BSNL; Shri Dinesh Kumar Garg, DDG (ABP Implementation-I), DoT; and Shri Venu Prasad Panneeru of T-Fiber and CEO of TRIICL, along with senior officers of DoT, DBN and BSNL.
The state-led model lets Telangana agencies steer execution while central funding comes through Digital Bharat Nidhi, continuing the state’s wider digital push such as AI Saksham training for government employees.
Why the Telangana BharatNet push matters for e-governance
Reliable Gram Panchayat fibre underpins village-level e-services. Ring topology upgrades on Phase I links should cut single-point failures, while Phase II coverage and new Gram Panchayats extend the footprint to households that still lack dependable broadband.
The connectivity agenda complements Telangana’s other digital governance investments, including the AI-integrated command and control centre planned for 26 urban local bodies in Khammam, and earlier national contracts such as the HFCL consortium’s ₹13,000 crore BharatNet Phase 3 award.
Digital Bharat Nidhi (formerly the Universal Service Obligation Fund) is an attached office of DoT and funds access in underserved areas, including BharatNet. Full details are in the Press Information Bureau release of 6 November 2026. Programme context is available via the Department of Telecommunications.
Key takeaways
- DoT’s Digital Bharat Nidhi signed a state-led Telangana BharatNet agreement with TRIICL, BSNL and T-Fiber on 6 November 2026.
- The Centre approved ₹3,189 crore to cover 12,769 Gram Panchayats, including Phase I ring upgrades and Phase II expansion.
- About three lakh subsidised rural home fibre connections are expected to support e-governance, education, telemedicine and digital payments.
FAQ
What is the Amended BharatNet Program in Telangana?
It is the state-led rollout of the Cabinet-approved Amended BharatNet Program to upgrade and expand Gram Panchayat broadband in Telangana through TRIICL, with BSNL and T-Fiber as partners.
How much central funding has been approved?
The Government of India has approved ₹3,189 crore in financial support for the Telangana package, as stated in the PIB Delhi release of 6 November 2026.
How many Gram Panchayats will be covered?
The scope is 12,769 Gram Panchayats: 1,946 Phase I upgrades to ring topology, 10,787 Phase II Gram Panchayats, and 36 newly created Gram Panchayats.
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Featured image: Sanchar Bhawan, New Delhi, headquarters of the Ministry of Communications. Photo: Ramesh Lalwani via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)