The project would facilitate provision of digital services, e-education, telemedicine and triple play services (telephone, television and internet) to the people at low cost. Provision of high speed internet connectivity to government offices, schools, colleges and industrial establishments would facilitate quick delivery of various government schemes to the rural people and create more rural jobs that would lift the rural economy, an official statement issued by the State government on Thursday said.

The scheme would bridge the IT capacity gap between the rural and urban areas in the State. State IT minister T Mano Thangaraj, Chief Secretary V Iraianbu and State IT secretary Neeraj Mittal were present during the launch of the OFC laying works.

The State has been been divided into four categories (A, B, C and D) with Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, Vellore, Krishnagiri, Chengalpattu, Chennai (NOC), Ranipet, Tirupattur, Tiruvannamalai brought under category A for the project implementation.

Cuddalore, Airyalur, Perambalur, Dharmapuri, Kallakurichi ,Salem, Erode, Salem, The Nilgiris and Villupuram have been classified under category B, while Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Pudukottai, Namakkal, Karur, Coimbatore, Tirupur, Tiruchy and Mayiladuthurai have been brought under category C. Kanykumari, Madurai, Ramanathapuram, Theni, Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli, Virudhu Nagar, Tenkasi, Dindigul and Sivagangai have been clustered under category D.