Tamil Nadu has taken a major step towards operationalising its rural fibre-optic network by floating a tender to procure 250,000 optical network terminals (ONTs), paving the way for high-speed broadband connectivity across homes, government offices and public institutions.
Issued by the Tamil Nadu FibreNet Corporation (TANFINET), the tender marks a key milestone in the implementation of BharatNet Phase II, under which TANFINET serves as the state’s nodal agency.
Over the past few years, fibre-optic cables have been laid across thousands of villages under the BharatNet programme, connecting village and block panchayats. However, much of the network has remained underutilised due to the absence of last-mile equipment needed to activate broadband services for end users.
The ONTs will address this gap by converting fibre-optic signals into broadband connections at subscriber premises. Once deployed, they will enable households, schools, colleges, hospitals, government offices and other public institutions to access high-speed internet services.
According to the tender documents, the selected bidder will supply the ONTs, assist TANFINET and its authorised agencies with installation, and maintain the equipment for four years. The contract includes a one-year warranty followed by three years of comprehensive maintenance.
The rollout is expected to significantly improve digital connectivity in rural Tamil Nadu by supporting access to online education, telemedicine, digital banking, e-governance services and other digital applications. Officials said the project will help bridge the digital divide between urban and rural areas while extending reliable broadband services to underserved regions.
With the procurement of the ONTs, Tamil Nadu is entering the final phase of converting its BharatNet infrastructure into a fully operational broadband network for citizens, institutions and government agencies across the state.
