After Internet giants like Google, Amazon and Uber had decided to make Telangana their home, could faster internet have been far behind?
The Telangana Govt. has taken a leap towards digital empowerment under ‘Digital Telangana’ initiative of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao. The scheme aims to provide internet connectivity to all the 8.5 million households of the state by the end of this year.
Telangana government’s Secretary-Information & Communications Technology (ITC), Jayesh Ranjan said this in the seminar ‘Integrated Digital Solutions for a Smarter Telangana’ organized by Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) with InfoComm International.
“We are making this ambitious target of providing internet to every person in different ways through broadband connectivity, 4G, Wi-Fi and e-Panchayats. We will ensure that ‘internet for all’ doesn’t mere just remain a slogan”, he said.
Ranjan explained the two pillars of Digital Telangana. Supply – where the goal is ‘Internet for all’ and Demand – to ensure that at least one member from each household could be termed ‘digitally literate’. The Telangana Govt. is working on laying optic fiber to every household, he added.
The duct lines used in Telangana Govt.’s flagship Watergrid programme, where piped water is aimed to be supplied to each household, will also be used to put optic fiber in each household of the state. Along with that, they are also encouraging private telecom companies to “roll out 4G services” and two companies have already confirmed to do that by end of the year.
“By using broadband, 4G and Wi-Fi together, we wish to take the number of citizens’ services we offer digitally, up from the present 320 to over 400,” he said.