According to the Andhra Pradesh chief minister, high speed digital connectivity will drive governance reforms and economic growth across the state. Speaking at the signing of a memorandum of cooperation (MoC) under the amended BharatNet programme, he highlighted the need to expand broadband infrastructure to improve service delivery in both rural and urban areas.
He said that digital connectivity is the foundation of a Viksit Bharat, and added that higher bandwidth will enable faster, more transparent and efficient services for every household. The state, with support from the central government, aims to provide high speed internet connectivity to every household within one and a half years under the strengthened BharatNet framework, he said.
The chief minister also noted that FiberNet had earlier connected nearly one million households. However, the number fell to 380,000 due to alleged mismanagement between 2019 and 2024. He added that efforts are now being made to restore and expand coverage.
He further stated that more than 900 government services are being delivered through WhatsApp. Pattadar passbooks, or land documents, are being printed using secure technology, and land records are being protected through blockchain systems. He said technology integration will also support the Sanjeevani health record digitisation project and improve the delivery of education and healthcare services through artificial intelligence (AI) enabled applications.
Further, he added that AI will support governance, healthcare and education, and create employment opportunities rather than replace jobs. He also stated that Andhra Pradesh is prepared to act as a test bed for telecom and technology innovations, with strong digital infrastructure serving as the backbone of the state’s growth.
