Govt to revitalise AP FiberNet
During a high-level review meeting at the Secretariat, the Chief Minister approved the crucial integration of AP FiberNet with the national BharatNet programme, specifically under the Amended BharatNet Programme (ABP).
The FibreNet project was designed to provide affordable triple play services, which include internet, telephone and IPTV.
Naidu expressed strong dismay at the project's state, which he described as a 'visionary initiative launched between 2014 and 2019'. He directed officials to immediately assess the challenges, financial constraints, and implement necessary corrective steps and new policy directions.
"The system, designed to benefit the public, students, and government departments, was instead exploited for political purposes by the former administration - undermining the very purpose of the initiative," Naidu said. He highlighted a stark decline in connections, noting that while there were 8.70 lakh connections in 2019, the number had plummeted to 4.50 lakh under the YSRCP government.
The Chief Minister also criticised the previous administration's staffing policies. "We managed the organisation effectively with just 130 employees and provided over 8 lakh connections. But the YSRCP government created unauthorized posts to accommodate its party workers, expanding the workforce from 130 to 1,350, misusing public funds," he stated.
Naidu emphasised the need to reintroduce services like virtual classrooms and called for strengthening the fiber network in rural and underserved areas. Pending issues with local cable operators (LCOs) are to be resolved promptly. An EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) contractor will be appointed to manage both the AP FiberNet and BharatNet networks. BSNL will serve as the project management agency, in line with ABP guidelines, he added. Officials were instructed to prepare an action plan to fully utilise the network's capabilities, to be presented at the next Cabinet meeting.
Naidu said that from June 2024 to June 2025, Rs. 192.5 crore has been allocated under capital expenditure and Rs. 66.76 crore under operational expenditure. With FiberNet's integration with BharatNet's ABP, the central government is expected to allocate Rs. 1,900 crore to AP FiberNet from 2025 to 2035.
Andhra Pradesh currently leads the nation in village panchayat connectivity, with fibernet services extended to 12,946 panchayats so far. Furthermore, 104 government offices have active fibernet connections. Residential connections are available through five different service packages, and over 21,000 institutions benefit from high-speed broadband. Connectivity has also been extended to 175 telecom towers. The project is currently managed by 442 employees and officers.
To date, 78,355 kilometres of fiber optic cable has been laid across the state, with a government target to expand this to a total of 2 lakh kilometres.
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