India's Telecom Ministry has issued an ISP license to the Tamil Nadu government to covering the provision of broadband and internet services across the southeast state.
Tamil Nadu Arasu Cable Television will team up with local cable operators to implement broadband and internet services state-wide, LiveMintreported.
The state-owned broadcaster has issued a call for local cable operators interested in providing the service as part of the consortium to register on the company's website.
With the arrangement Arasu Cable TV plans to offer IPTV services at cheaper rates for the residents of the state, to fulfil the state's government plans to provide IPTV services to all households in the region. The company also plans to offer high-speed broadband and other internet services.
As of July last year, Arasu Cable TV had 7 million subscribers. The company has focused on providing affordable cable TV services to the population since its revival in 2011.
The Tamil Nadu government is also involved in a project to link more than 12,000 local villages with fiber backhaul via the dedicated Tamil Nadu Fibernet Corporation.