₹200/Month for 100 Mbps: TN Govt Announces New High-Speed Internet Scheme

During the debate on demands for grants for the Industries and Information Technology departments in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly today (April 25), Minister for Information Technology, PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan, announced a new scheme to provide affordable high-speed internet connectivity to households across the state.

Responding at the end of the debate, Minister PTR stated, "Efforts are underway to provide internet services directly to homes through the Tamil Nadu FiberNet Corporation (TANFINET), similar to how cable TV services are delivered."

He announced that under this scheme, internet connections with a speed of 100 Mbps will be provided at a monthly cost of ₹200.

Key Highlights of the Scheme:

• Speed and Price: 100 Mbps speed for ₹200 per month.
• Implementing Agency: Tamil Nadu FiberNet Corporation (TANFINET).
• Goal: To provide high-speed internet access to all villages.
• Current Status: Applications have been received from 4,700 village panchayats to offer the service, which is expected to launch soon.

Minister PTR further added, "The project to connect 12,525 village panchayats with 1 Gbps speed through 57,500 km of optical fiber cable under the BharatNet scheme, which was delayed during the previous administration, has been expedited. We plan to complete it within this year. Work has already been completed in 11,639 village panchayats."

He also mentioned that TANFINET is currently providing internet connectivity to about 2,000 government offices, and this will soon be extended to all government offices across Tamil Nadu.

"Providing high-speed internet service to all villages should be considered an expression of social justice," Minister PTR emphasized in his speech. This new initiative is expected to play a crucial role in bridging the digital divide and ensuring equitable internet access for the rural population.