en.Wedoany.com Reported - Tamil Nadu has issued a tender through its state-owned fiber network company, Tamil Nadu FibreNet Corporation (TANFINET), to procure 250,000 Optical Network Terminals (ONTs). This aims to activate its already-laid rural fiber network, providing high-speed broadband connectivity to homes, government offices, and public institutions.
This tender is a key implementation step in the second phase of BharatNet, the federal government's flagship rural broadband project. Over the past few years, the project has laid fiber optic cables in thousands of villages, connecting village and block-level panchayats. However, due to a lack of last-mile equipment to convert fiber optic signals into user broadband services, most of the completed infrastructure has remained underutilized.
According to the tender documents, the winning bidder will be responsible for supplying the ONTs and supporting TANFINET and its authorized agencies in equipment installation. The contract includes a one-year warranty, followed by three years of comprehensive maintenance services to ensure uninterrupted network operation. ONT devices convert fiber optic signals into usable broadband connections for users. Once deployed, they will enable homes, schools, hospitals, government offices, and other institutions to access reliable high-speed internet.
This deployment is expected to significantly enhance digital connectivity levels in rural areas of Tamil Nadu, helping residents more effectively use services such as online education, telemedicine, digital banking, welfare applications, and e-governance. Government officials stated that the project will also help expand broadband coverage to underserved areas, narrowing the digital divide between urban and rural regions.
Government sources noted that robust digital infrastructure has become a key factor in attracting investments in information technology, Global Capability Centers (GCCs), business process outsourcing, and knowledge-intensive industries. Expanding broadband networks to tier-2 and tier-3 towns is expected to enhance the economic competitiveness of these areas and create new development opportunities.
This ONT procurement indicates that the state is entering the final phase of transforming its rural fiber network into a functional broadband ecosystem, aiming to ultimately convert the infrastructure built under the BharatNet project into tangible internet access services for citizens, public institutions, and government departments.
