The Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that each village across India will be connected with optical fibre cable (OFC) in the next 1000 days. Modi in his address on the occasion of 74th Independence Day highlighted that only 60 panchayats across India were connected with OFC prior to 2014. However, Modi said that nearly 1.5 lakh gram panchayats across the country have received OFC connectivity in the last five years. Modi said that it was essential that rural India is also connected under Digital India during these changing times.
Modi Promises to Connect Villages Across India in 1000 Days
Modi said that the government will connect over six lakh villages across India with an optical fibre network.
“There is a surge in the demand of online facilities among the rural population,” Modi said in his Independence day address.
The prime minister said that “thousands and lakhs of kilometres” of OFC would be laid down across India connecting over six lakh villages.
“As the requirements have changed, so have our priorities,” Modi said. “We have decided that within 1000 days, we will complete the work of connecting over six lakhs villages with optical fibre.”
Ravi Shankar Prasad, minister for Electronics and IT, Communications said in a tweet on Saturday that the development is a “game changer” for the Digital India initiative.
Modi Announces OFC Connectivity to Lakshadweep
Modi also announced that Lakshadweep will also be connected with submarine optical fibre cable connectivity in the next 1000 days.
"We have around 1,300 islands. Keeping in mind their geographical location and their significance in the development of the nation, work to begin new projects in some of these islands is underway,” Modi said.
It has to be noted that Modi on August 10, 2020 inaugurated the submarine optical fibre cable connectivity between Chennai and Andaman and Nicobar Islands (CANI projects). The foundation stone for the 2300 Km long CANI project was laid on December 30, 2018.
“We have chosen some islands for rapid development,” Modi said. “Recently, we connected Andaman and Nicobar Islands with an undersea cable for a better internet. Next, we will connect Lakshadweep."
It was said that the CANI project will deliver 2x200 Gbps between Chennai and Port Blair along with 2x100 Gbps between Port Blair and other islands.
