No network zone to connected rainforest: How Agumbe was brought online

In one of the India’s most challenging terrains for digital infrastructure, the National Institute of Technology Karnataka (NITK), Surathkal, has deployed more than 130 fibre optic internet connections across Agumbe, a remote village in the rainforest in the Western Ghats that receive over 7,000 mm of rainfall annually and has long been categorised as a ‘no network zone’. 

The project, led by Dr. Mohit P. Tahiliani, Associate Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at NITK, was executed over a year in extreme weather and difficult terrain to highlight that stable and high-quality internet connections can be delivered even in India’s wettest and most inaccessible regions.  

Agumbe, a UNESCO World Heritage site known for receiving the highest rainfall in Karnataka, lies 660 metres above mean sea level in Shivamogga district. The absence of reliable communication, as per NITK, has delayed emergency response as the village is accident prone and sits on the Agumbe ghat, a mountain with 14 hairpin bends that connects Shivamogga district with Udupi in coastal Karnataka. 

Why Agumbe was left out?

Field assessments conducted by the NITK team revealed that wireless connectivity was unsuited to Agumbe’s conditions. Heavy rainfall, dense forest cover and environmental interference repeatedly disrupted wireless links. Wildlife, particularly monkeys, posed a constant threat to exposed equipment, damaging infrastructure, and reducing reliability.  

These constraints led the team to design a fibre-optic network tailored specifically for Agumbe’s steep terrain, landslide-prone zones, prolonged monsoon season and unreliable power supply. The aim was to build a network that would last without compromising the region’s ecological sensitivity, Dr. Tahiliani said.  

The fibre network was deployed using a combination of underground and aerial installations, chosen to minimise ecological disturbance. Redundant routing, protective coverings, and power-efficient components were built to improve resilience while power back-up systems, such as energy efficient and renewable options, were installed to address frequent outages.  

Building inside a rainforest

The NITK began with detailed field assessments of terrain, climate, population distribution, existing infrastructure, power availability and connectivity gaps. Consultations were held with residents, healthcare workers, teachers, farmers, local businesses and authorities to identify priority locations. Connectivity nodes were then placed to serve healthcare centres, schools, agricultural hubs, government offices, research institutions, tourist locations and residential clusters. 

Local residents, Dr. Tahiliani said, played a critical role throughout the process, helping the institution with planning, coordination and cable deployment, and guiding with local knowledge.  

What changed?

The project, funded by the IEEE Communication Society and IEEE Tech4Good (T4G) under their ‘Internet for All’ programme, is aimed at improving healthcare access, education, agriculture, livelihoods, conservation research and long-term sustainability in a region historically cut off from digital services. 

For the first time, small shops, homestays, guides and restaurants in Agumbe began accepting UPI-based digital payments. Digital payments improved the experience for tourists and expanded economic participation. Agumbe’s specialised research centres, especially those focused on King Cobra conservation and wildlife monitoring, began sharing data in real time, using remote sensors and collaborating with institutions across India and abroad.  

Improved online visibility also strengthened tourism-based livelihoods by enabling digital bookings, reviews, navigation services and direct communication with visitors, a critical boost in a village where tourism is among the most stable sources of income. 

Limitations and national model

Despite careful planning, fibre-optic infrastructure remains vulnerable to falling trees, landslides and extreme rainfall. To mitigate this, cables were protected, elevated where possible and deployed with redundant paths to ensure continuity if one segment fails. 

The NITK team stated that the Agumbe model can be replicated across other remote, forested and hilly regions of India. The team emphasised that sustained impact will depend on policy frameworks that recognise internet connectivity as essential public infrastructure in remote and environmentally sensitive regions.