Kerala is the number one state in India in terms of achieving literacy and that has been possible due to the efforts made by the government. There are people living basic below poverty line and internet for them is a luxury. To help such people and families, the Kerala government is going to build an infrastructure for internet services which will provide free internet to people. This operation is known as Kerala Fiber Optic Network (KFON). The project is ready to be commissioned in December this year. This news was shared by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
Kerala Fiber Optic Network (KFON) Project
Under the Kerala Fiber Optic Network (KFON) project, the government of Kerala plans to provide free internet access to around 30,000 government institutions and 20 million households. The decision to commission the project on December was taken when the Chief Minister joined in a video call with all the heads of the companies present in the consortium to overlook the operations. The Kerala government understands that for creating a knowledge-based economy, internet access should be a right for every citizen. Once the government builds the infrastructure, other private service providers can use it to offer services to their clients as well.
Industrial Investments in the State Likely to Rise
This move from the Kerala government is likely to give rise to industrial investments in the state. All the companies in the consortium have the full backing of the government to complete the project on time. Demand for internet services is going to rise in the post-COVID world and to match it, a better internet infrastructure is required throughout the country to ensure a smooth workflow for everyone. The project is funded by Rs 1,548 crores wherein the major part of it has been contributed by the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB). Resources have also been pooled by Kerala State IT Infrastructure Limited (KSITL) and Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) to help with the project.
