India’s Department of Telecommunications inked an agreement on Tuesday to expand broadband coverage across rural Andhra Pradesh under the state-led model of the Amended BharatNet Programme.

Digital Bharat Nidhi, the Government of Andhra Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh BharatNet Infrastructure Limited, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited and the state utility, Andhra Pradesh State FiberNet Limited, signed the pact at Sanchar Bhawan in New Delhi.

The initiative fills the digital divide in India’s fourth-largest state and delivers online services to remote, untouched regions.

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Project Scope and Financial Backing

The initiative covers 13,426 gram panchayats across Andhra Pradesh. This includes upgrades for 1,692 existing networks & an expansion for 11,254 new gram panchayats.

An additional 3,942 villages will receive on-demand connectivity.

The Indian government allocated ₹2,432 crore to execute the programme. The project will upgrade older linear network infrastructure to a more resilient ring topology in Phase I regions. The rollout is expected to enable over 500,000 fibre connections in rural households. Implementation will be handled by Andhra Pradesh BharatNet Infrastructure Limited, a state agency created for the purpose.

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Connectivity and Digital Services Push

The agreement boosts the last-mile broadband delivery in remote areas. This is where conventional telecom operators find limited commercial viability.

The expanded network will support e-governance portals, online schooling platforms, telemedicine services and digital payment systems. The Union Cabinet had approved the amended BharatNet framework in August 2023 to consolidate and expand the existing national broadband network. Officials expect execution to accelerate following the signing of the agreement.