Kerala: The Kerala government has approved the Kerala-Fiber Optic Network (K-Fon) project that will provide free high speed internet connection to over 20 Lakh families Below Poverty Line (BPL).
Kerala: The Kerala government has approved the Kerala-Fiber Optic Network (K-Fon) project that will provide free high speed internet connection to over 20 Lakh families Below Poverty Line (BPL).
The $1548 crore project is estimated to be completed by December 2020 and will be built by a group led by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL).
The project, financed by the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board, is part of a program by the State to provide high speed internet access to all citizens.
The program is aimed at giving a push to the digitization of government services like the e-health programs, IT parks, airports and seaports.
It will be set up by the Kerala State Electricity Board Limited and Kerala State IT Infrastructure Limited and will link houses and over 30,000 government offices and educational institutions.
The network, once built, will be open to utilization for licensed Internet service providers and cable TV operators. Mobile towers will also be linked to provide faster mobile internet services.
Thomas Isaac, Kerala Minister of Finance and Coir has tweeted that "Internet connection made a basic right" .
The Kerala cabinet's decision has made Kerala the first state to announce internet as a basic right.