Technology
Free internet project Kerala to be started in December: CM
Thiruvananthapuram: the government of Kerala anounced the implementation by December of its ambitious Kerala Fibre Optic Network (K-FON) project to grant free access to the poor.
On Friday Chief Minister of the Consortium of Heads of Company Rs 1,500 Crore K-FON reported the decision after a meeting of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
"With the launch of the K-FON project, Kerala is the first state to recognize the internet as a citizens' fundamental right, providing quality internet at low rates and free to the poor.
No other State has put such a system into practice in India.
M V Gautam, CMD consortium leader BEL, has committed to completing the project by December this year despite the delay due to the lockdown, "Vijayan said.
The consortium includes companies of the public sector, Bharat Electronics LimitedNSE -0.65% and Railtel, as well as private companies like SRIT and LS Cables.
Kerala State IT Infrastructure Limited and Kerala State Electricity Board are implementing this project.
The KSEB stations used optical fibre cables throughout the state.
At a news meeting here, the CEO said the project would be a huge advantage for the state because the K-FON network would give schools , hospitals, governmental offices and other institutions Internet connectivity.
It would also act as "the state-imagined catalyst for the knowledge economy."
He notes, that in the post-COVID-19 scenario, the importance and relevance of the Internet will be increased "in sectors such as education and banking."
"K-Fon will support government efforts to develop Kerala as a world leading destination for industry, education and tourism," he added.
