Kerala CM launches fibre optic network to provide free internet access to 20 lakh families

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday launched the KFON (Kerala Fibre Optic Network) in the State to provide high-speed, affordable internet connectivity to every household. The Chief Minister said that KFON will revolutionise the digital space.

"With KFON, free internet connectivity will be provided to 20 lakh BPL families. It will also cover villages in all 14 districts. Earlier only 10 per cent of government offices had high-speed Internet, with the launch of KFON, 30,000 government institutions will have high brand width connectivity,' the Chief Minister said at the launch event of KFON.

KFON is a joint venture of Kerala State IT Infrastructure Limited and Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) and a consortium led by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) was selected to implement the project in March 2019. A network operating centre will be set up at Eranakulam as a part of the project.

"Across the 14 districts in the State, a 35,000-kilometre-long optic fibre network is being laid, which once completed will be the largest such network. All service providers will have the option to use the network. The internet speed available will be from 10 Mbps to 1 Gbps," the CM informed.

The Chief Minister opined that earlier only the cities had internet connectivity due to the prominence of private internet service providers while the villages lagged in internet connectivity however, he added that now the situation will change after the implementation of KFON.

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Launching inland waterway

Vijayan on Monday also launched the first phase of a 520-km-long national waterway. Vijayan inaugurated the 310 km first phase of the inland waterway, by travelling an 11 KM stretch from Veli to Kadinamkulam onboard a 24-seater solar-powered boat. Vijayan said that the government had classified canals and bridges in southern Kerala and the Malabar region in order to modernise and develop the waterways in three phases.

He said that the government has taken steps to prevent waste from being dumped into the waterways and municipalities have a major role in preventing it. CCTVs are being installed, fences are being erected and steps are being taken to create awareness among the people to protect the waterways, Vijayan said.

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