AI Tool Use Raises Privacy Concerns – Govt Depts Asked to Switch to T-Fiber

Hyderabad:With many state government offices still using private internet service providers (ISPs) for connectivity, the government has once again started pushing all its offices to switch to the state run T-Fiber network for internet services. So far, according to officials, only 3,484 government offices migrated to T-Fiber, while many more are yet to make the switch.

Though the government back in 2024 issued orders asking all its offices and institutions in Telangana including rural and urban local bodies, and all public sector undertakings of the state government to switch to T-Fiber as their primary internet service provider, the compliance has been lagging, it is learnt.

The IT, electronics and communication department, in its latest reminder this past February, had again reminded all departments and wings of the government this past February not only to begin the migration process from private ISPs to T-Fiber. In its letter, the IT department said in addition to the various departments, all universities, colleges, schools, corporations, societies, and all other entities to T-Fiber saying this will enable “T-Fiber “to match or offer better tariff and service levels than existing ISPs.”

According to a T-Fiber official, the goal is not just providing secure internet services but also help keep the money paid to private ISPs within the government. “There is a misconception among some that because T-Fiber is a government service, it comes for free. This is not the case. But private ISPs do not come free either. For instance, in and around Hyderabad, several offices use ACT or Airtel internet services, and the same money paid to them can provide network to government offices, and ensure data security,” the official said.

There are also concerns among official circles that government officials and staff are using generative AI tools like ChatGPT and uploading official documents in PDF or other formats for creating fresh official documents. “This is a cause for some worry as government information and data gets exposed to outside agencies. Such practices can provide detrimental. Ideally officials should perform such tasks without resorting to such tools. Once on T-Fiber, such activities can be kept track of,” a senior government official said.

T-Fiber, according to officials, provides security operations centre (SOC), and network operations center (NOC) monitoring round the clock While SOC works for protecting against cyber threats and data breaches, the NOC ensures reliability, performance and network uptime.

While most Telangana is covered by T-Fiber network, it is yet to be extended to the former unified Khammam, Nizamabad, and Rangareddy districts. In these districts, the government says internet services will be provisioned by T-Fiber through authorised third-party fiber lease arrangements till T-Fiber establishes its own network in these areas too.

IT-Fiber network

Covers 26 districts, 424 mandals, and 8,895 gram panchayats

Charges vary from Rs 22,000 a year for 4 MBPS connection to Rs 9,21,325 a year for 1,000 MBPS connectivity

Can provide services to 90 lakh households, one lakh government institutions, and to private businesses and MSMEs