Agreement Signed between DBN (Digital Bharat Nidhi) - Department of Telecommunications; Government of Telangana; TRIICL; BSNL & T-Fibre for Implementation of Amended BharatNet Program in Telangana
PIB National (English) · Published 6 November 2026 · Last updated
An agreement was signed on November 6, 2026, between Digital Bharat Nidhi, the Telangana government, TRIICL, BSNL, and T-Fibre to implement the Amended BharatNet Programme, deploying 3 lakh rural fibre connections under a Rs 3,189 crore project.
Key points
- A landmark agreement was signed on November 6, 2026, for implementing the Amended BharatNet Programme in Telangana.
- The signatories to the agreement include Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN) under the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), the Government of Telangana, Telangana Rural Internet Infrastructure Corporation Limited (TRIICL), Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), and Telangana Fibre Grid Corporation Limited (T-Fibre).
- The project aims to provide 3 lakh rural fibre connections across Telangana under a Rs 3,189 crore amended BharatNet programme.
- The project will be implemented through TRIICL under the state-led model to strengthen rural telecom infrastructure, improve network resilience, and expand last-mile broadband connectivity.
- The expanded connectivity will support the delivery of e-governance services, online education, telemedicine, and digital payments in areas with limited broadband infrastructure.
- The agreement was signed in the presence of Shyamal Misra, Administrator of Digital Bharat Nidhi, along with senior officials from DoT, the Telangana government, and BSNL.
- The Union Cabinet had approved the Amended BharatNet Programme on August 4, 2023, to upgrade, consolidate, and expand the existing network to all Gram Panchayats and villages on demand.
- Digital Bharat Nidhi, formerly known as the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF), supports the expansion of telecommunications services in underserved rural, remote, and urban areas.
Background
- The Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) was established to provide financial support for extending telecommunications services to underserved rural and remote areas of India.
- The Union Cabinet approved the Amended BharatNet Programme on August 4, 2023, specifically designed to upgrade, consolidate, and expand the existing BharatNet network infrastructure.
- The Universal Service Obligation Fund was subsequently renamed as Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN) to reflect broader mandates in digital infrastructure expansion.
- Telangana established bodies like the Telangana Fibre Grid Corporation Limited (T-Fibre) and Telangana Rural Internet Infrastructure Corporation Limited (TRIICL) to deploy optical fibre networks across the state.
- Efforts have been continuously underway between central entities like DoT and state entities like BSNL and T-Fibre to bridge the rural-urban digital divide.
UPSC relevance, Prelims facts and Mains angle for this issue are in the full SWAदेSH note.
Original report: PIB National (English)