IndiGlobal Bureau
Kerala is planning to have its own internet service and has also received approval from the Department of Telecommunications’ granting of an Internet Service Provider (ISP) licence to the IT infrastructure project of the Kerala Fiber Optic Network Ltd. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan tweeted,“Now, our prestigious #KFON project can kickstart its operations of providing the internet as a basic right to our people.”
K-Fon or Kerala Fiber Optic Network Ltd is a state government initiative that aims to eliminate the digital gap. As per the government, the infrastructure created by this project is expected to complement the state’s current telecom ecosystem.
As per the state authorities, any provider at any level of the business segment, including Telecommunication Service Providers, Internet Service Providers, Multiple System Operators and Local cable operators, can use this network to fill in connectivity gaps at their core networks without having to worry about meeting the onerous Right of Way or RoW and expensive CAPEX criteria.
K-Fon will complement the existing telecom ecosystem in the state and will act as the perfect catalyst positioning Kerala as a Gigabit Economy”, the website noted.
It is also said that TSPs/ISPs/Cable operators could leverage this network to provide affordable and better broadband connectivity to households. It is also expected to boost economic growth by supporting local small and medium-sized enterprises and businesses with digital infrastructure, as well as benefiting the IT and electronics industries.
The government expects that K-Fon will also play a significant role in sections such as delivering remote education, creating job opportunities, providing remote healthcare access, boosting infrastructure development, sharing information regarding e-governance and agriculture matters, as well as triggering innovations.
Additionally, as the net speeds necessary to catch up to 5G will likewise be much higher when it becomes popular in India, the authorities believe that K-Fon will help the state position itself to lead the race.
“KFON will be able to connect to the nearly 8,000+ mobile towers in Kerala and significantly enhance the mobile call quality and also accelerate the 4G/5G transitions. Presently 80% of the towers are not fiberized and use radio, an issue for the 4G/5G rollout, which will also be solved by KFON,” the website highlighted.
K-Fon’s board of directors include Bishwanath Sinha, Additional Chief Secretary, E&IT, Government of Kerala; Snehil Kumar Singh, Director at Kerala State IT Mission; and Santhosh Babu, MD at Kerala State Information Technology Infrastructure Ltd.
The Kerala State Electricity Board Limited, Bharat Electronics Limited, Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board and KSITI are the stakeholders in this initiative.
