12.5K TN villages will have broadband in 18 months: Minister

Madurai: Tamil Nadu minister for revenue, disaster management and IT, R B Udhaykumar has said over 12,500 villages in the state will have broadband internet connectivity in about 18 months, as part of the BharatNet project to empower villages.

Addressing the 27th Tiecon virtual conference, in which over 4,500 participants and investors including those from Silicon Valley joined, on Wednesday night, the minister said Tamil Nadu, which has been a key player in the IT/ITeS sector, will now see new growth opportunities from other sectors too on the back of the broadband connectivity that will soon be in place across TN. “Tamil Nadu had a highly disciplined society, with minimal law and order issues and abundant skilled manpower that attracted many industries to the state,” the minister said.