Telangana villages embrace a tech-infused tomorrow
T-Fiber, the state's visionary broadband initiative, is turning cathode-ray tube TVs into portals of possibility, stitching villages into a high-speed digital tapestry. With over 43,000 km of underground cable, enough to circle the globe, the project is rewiring futures: 8,890 gram panchayats now hum with connectivity, classrooms morph into virtual hubs and bulb-mounted CCTVs guard communities.
This isn't just internet access; it's a revolution where farmers video-call agronomists, students Google Classroom their way to equality and grandmothers stream Telugu dramas in HD. Telangana's villages aren't catching up, they're leaping ahead.
One of the defining goals of T-Fiber was to ensure that no one is left behind. Even an old cathode ray tube (CRT) television set in a village home can be converted into a computer, becoming a gateway for education, communication and government services. By transforming basic infrastructure into smart infrastructure, the project aims to unlock new opportunities across rural areas.
Over 8,890 gram panchayats are now service-ready, with infrastructure in place and high-speed internet prepared for deployment. In total, the project aims to bring broadband connectivity to over four crore people, spanning all 10 zones in 33 districts, 589 mandals, 12,769 gram panchayats and 93 lakh households — making it one of the most ambitious public digital infrastructure projects in the country. The backbone of this effort is more than 43,000 kilometres of underground cable — a length that surpasses the circumference of the Earth.
To validate and fine-tune its service delivery, T-Fiber has undertaken a proof of concept (PoC) across four villages — Adavi Srirampur in Peddapalli district, Maddur in Narayanpet, Sangupet in Sangareddy and Hajipalle in Rangareddy. Through this trial, around 4,000 households were connected and services like broadband internet, IPTV (with Free-to-Air and HD Telugu channels), virtual desktops (allowing a TV to function as a computer), government-to-government (G2G) and government-to-citizen (G2C) services and Voice over IP (VoIP) communication were delivered.
It is learnt that proposals are underway to integrate Google Classroom with government school networks, ensuring that students in rural areas have access to the same digital learning environments as their urban counterparts.
Affordability a major focus point: Official
Speaking to TNIE, T-Fiber Grid Managing Director Venu Prasad Panneeru says the learnings from the PoC have been invaluable in refining the service model. 'We are now service-ready and preparing for a phased launch across the entire state. Our focus is on enhancing rural connectivity without disturbing the existing cable operator ecosystem,' he says.
He further explains that instead of replacing local cable services, T-Fiber is collaborating with them, having already received over 1,000 partnership applications. 'The competitors were hesitant to invest in rural Telangana due to the high infrastructure costs. By partnering with local operators, we are ensuring that internet packages remain affordable and comparable to cable TV prices,' he adds.
T-Fiber has already connected several key government departments — including Agriculture, Social Welfare and Panchayat Raj — and has set a target of linking 30,000 government institutions by the end of the 2025-26 financial year. As these connections expand, so too will access to e-governance services, ensuring faster, more transparent public service delivery even in the remotest corners of the state.
Surveillance as a Service,the new SaaS
In an innovative move to bolster rural security, T-Fiber is piloting a 'Surveillance as a Service' project. As part of the pilot, villages like Hajipalle are being equipped with CCTV cameras that can be installed into ordinary bulb holders. At an affordable cost, these cameras are expected to act as a deterrent to crime, assist police investigations and make rural communities safer and more secure.
List of services
Broadband Internet
Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) - Free-To-Air (FTA) + HD Telugu Channels
Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) - TV as a computer
G2G & G2C services
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)
Pilot project in 4 villages
Adavi Srirampur (Peddapalli)
Maddur (Narayanpet)
Sangupet (Sangareddy)
Hajipalle (Rangareddy)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Lumen narrows loss, lifts free cash flow forecast on tax savings
By Akash Sriram Lumen Technologies on Thursday reported a smaller-than-expected second-quarter loss and raised its full-year free cash flow forecast by more than 60%, helped by cost savings from President Trump's tax cut legislation. The telecom and networking firm posted an adjusted loss of 3 cents per share, compared with analysts' expectations of a 26-cent loss, according to data compiled by LSEG. Lumen now expects 2025 free cash flow between $1.2 billion and $1.4 billion, up from a prior range of $700 million to $900 million. "We're taking it up considerably because of strong performance, but also because of the new tax bill, that definitely benefited us and that allows us to invest," CFO Chris Stansbury told Reuters in an interview. The new tax law enables companies such as Lumen to deduct more interest expenses and speed up how quickly they write off big investments, boosting near-term cash flow. Revenue for the quarter ended June 30 was $3.09 billion, slightly below analysts' average estimate of $3.11 billion. The shortfall included a $46 million giveback tied to the FCC's Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF), following the sale of Lumen's consumer fiber business to AT&T . Lumen agreed in May to sell its consumer fiber business to AT&T for $5.75 billion in cash, a move aimed at sharpening its enterprise focus and reducing capital expenditures . The company also recorded a one-time non-cash goodwill impairment charge of $628 million tied to the divestiture, contributing to a net loss of $915 million for the quarter. Stansbury said the divestiture would reduce annual capital expenditures by about $1 billion while trimming adjusted core earnings by $150 million. Lumen reaffirmed its full-year adjusted EBITDA guidance of $3.2 billion to $3.4 billion and said it expects to reach the high end of that range.
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- New Indian Express
IIT Delhi attracts Rs 432 crore for tech innovation; quantum T-Hub gets major push
NEW DELHI: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi undertook 650 sponsored projects and consultancies through its Industrial Research and Development (IRD) Unit, attracting total funding of Rs 352 crore. Another `80 crore was secured for 152 technology development projects and consultancies via FITT (Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer), stated the data shared by the institute on Thursday. One of the most ambitious ventures underway is the Technology Hub (T-Hub) on Quantum Materials and Devices (QMD), funded by the Union Government with an initial outlay of Rs 312 crore until March 2031. Housed at IIT Delhi, the QMD T-Hub is envisioned as a national centre of excellence in quantum materials science. It aims to play a transformative role in shaping India's quantum technology roadmap by advancing innovation at the intersection of materials science, photonics, and quantum device engineering. At its core, the T-Hub is focused on developing next-generation materials and devices that support quantum computing, secure communication, and ultra-sensitive sensing technologies. The officials said, 'Among its key objectives is the development of on-demand single-photon emitters (SPEs), single-photon avalanche detectors (SPADs), and reconfigurable photonic qubit circuits—all crucial for building a robust quantum technology ecosystem in the country.' IIT Delhi is also leading efforts to address global research challenges through the Multi-Institutional Faculty Interdisciplinary Research Project (MFIRP) initiative. Launched by the IRD Unit, this programme fosters collaboration with top-tier national and international universities. So far, it has supported 112 joint projects with India and 144 with global institutions.
Mint
2 days ago
- Mint
Lumen narrows loss, lifts free cash flow forecast on tax savings
July 31 (Reuters) - Lumen Technologies on Thursday reported a smaller-than-expected second-quarter loss and raised its full-year free cash flow forecast by more than 60%, helped by cost savings from President Trump's tax cut legislation. The telecom and networking firm posted an adjusted loss of 3 cents per share, compared with analysts' expectations of a 26-cent loss, according to data compiled by LSEG. Lumen now expects 2025 free cash flow between $1.2 billion and $1.4 billion, up from a prior range of $700 million to $900 million. "We're taking it up considerably because of strong performance, but also because of the new tax bill, that definitely benefited us and that allows us to invest," CFO Chris Stansbury told Reuters in an interview. The new tax law enables companies such as Lumen to deduct more interest expenses and speed up how quickly they write off big investments, boosting near-term cash flow. Revenue for the quarter ended June 30 was $3.09 billion, slightly below analysts' average estimate of $3.11 billion. The shortfall included a $46 million giveback tied to the FCC's Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF), following the sale of Lumen's consumer fiber business to AT&T. Lumen agreed in May to sell its consumer fiber business to AT&T for $5.75 billion in cash, a move aimed at sharpening its enterprise focus and reducing capital expenditures. The company also recorded a one-time non-cash goodwill impairment charge of $628 million tied to the divestiture, contributing to a net loss of $915 million for the quarter. Stansbury said the divestiture would reduce annual capital expenditures by about $1 billion while trimming adjusted core earnings by $150 million. Lumen reaffirmed its full-year adjusted EBITDA guidance of $3.2 billion to $3.4 billion and said it expects to reach the high end of that range. (Reporting by Akash Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by Tasim Zahid)
