Tamil Nadu to offer low-cost internet for rural households & local bodies

BharatNet linking more than 12,500 rural local bodies will be implemented at Rs 3,000 cr

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa today announced that all rural households and rural local bodies in the state will be provided with internet connections at low cost and internet protocol television (IPTV) would be provided through Tamil Nadu Arasu Cable Corporation for this purpose.

A new company called Tamil Nadu FibreNet Corporation would be formed for this purpose.

Speaking at the Assembly today she said the state government would implement the Centre's broadband project BharatNet linking more than 12,500 rural local bodies in the state at an investment of Rs 3,000 crore.

The TACTV has received internet service provider licence (ISP) from the Centre and has also signed a pact with Indian RailTel for providing high-speed broadband internet services.

With the Centre's assistance rural local bodies across the state will be connected through optical fibre, said Jayalalithaa, adding that already, 552 cable operators are offering services. The ISP licence would be used to take internet across every household in the state.