Self-help group (SHG) women, already engaged in various business activities, are set to take up a new role, maintaining internet services in rural areas.
The State government is considering handing over the responsibility of operating T-Fibre services to women’s groups in villages. To facilitate this, officials plan to extend loans under the StreeNidhi programme. The T-Fibre, initiated during the previous BRS government under the BharatNet scheme, aimed to bring high-speed internet to every household in rural Telangana. Cables were laid alongside Mission Bhagiratha pipelines to ensure connectivity to all villages.
While internet services are already operational in Collectorates, MPDO offices, Gram Panchayats, and other government departments, pilot T-Fibre services were launched in December last year in one village each in Peddapalli, Sangareddy and Narayanpet. Preparations are underway to expand the services to all villages. Currently, T-Fibre officials manage the services, but scaling up will make statewide monitoring difficult. As a solution, the government plans to entrust SHGs with both service delivery and line maintenance.
Each SHG will be eligible for a Rs 5 lakh loan. In addition to providing connections to households, the groups will be responsible for maintenance. Officials are finalising the operational guidelines. A command control centre will be set up in each police station to oversee service quality. Households will receive 4G or 5G internet with speeds up to 20 Mbps at Rs 300 per month.
The women’s groups will also extend connections to schools, government offices, and homes. Through this service, rural residents will be able to pay electricity and water bills, property taxes, recharge mobiles, and make UPI transactions.
