Kerala is now the country’s only state with its own internet service!

Kerala, known for its efficient education, health, and public distribution systems, will now lead the way in providing internet access. Kerala Fiber Optic Network Limited (KFON) has received an Internet Service Provider License from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), making it the country’s first state to have its own Internet service. Pinarayi Vijayan, the Chief Minister of Kerala, tweeted, ‘Kerala is now the country’s only state with its own internet service. DoT has granted the Kerala Fiber Optic Network Ltd (KFON) an ISP licence. Now, our prestigious KFON project can begin providing internet access to our people as a basic human right’.

The aspiring government IT infrastructure project;
The Internet has not only facilitated access to education, banking, and other sectors, but it has also reduced congestion in government offices. Kerala Fiber Optic Network Limited’s mission is to provide free internet service to every village and town in the state, which has over 2 million economically disadvantaged households. In addition, the project aims to connect all government offices, educational institutions, and hospitals, and it collaborates with telecom service providers to close the connectivity gap.

2019 project gaining traction;
In fact, the Pinarayi Vijayan government launched a Rs 1548 crore project in 2019 by declaring internet access to be a fundamental right, with the goal of providing free internet to government offices and 20 lakh poor households. The project, which was supposed to lay 35,000 kilometres of optic fibre network in the state and cover rural areas in all districts, was supposed to be completed by 2020, but it was pushed back.

Only 10% of state government offices currently have high-speed internet access. 30,000 government offices will benefit from high-speed internet access under this scheme. Education, transportation, management, tourism, and IT sectors are expected to boom as a result of the provision of free internet to schools, IT parks, airports, and seaports. Andhra Pradesh has its own internet company, Andhra Pradesh State FiberNet Limited. However, it offers paid internet packages, whereas Kerala claims to provide free internet service only to the economically disadvantaged.