20 lakh poor families to get free internet in Kerala

The Kerala state government has decided to take a step ahead in digitising the state by providing free of cost internet connectivity to 20 lakh poor families, and other will get the same at a concessional rate. This project was unveiled at the State Budget. 

On his budget speech, the Finance Minister of the state T.M.  Thomas Isaac said that this project will make the internet access a right for every citizen in Kerala. Also, it will provide direct access to various government and non-government services by using mobile phone and computer. 

To execute the plan, a proposal has been made to install a new optical fibre network to provide internet connection in every household in the state. This network has been named K-Fon, and its pathway will be parallel to electric power network of KSEB. 

KIIFB will provide the ₹1000 crore capital investment and the installing K-Fon will take about 18 months time. 

The minister also confirmed that Wi-Fi transmission centres will set up in various places, including Janasevana Kendra, Akshaya centres, public libraries, government offices, and other similar public area by using the optical fibre network to provide the internet to all. 

As per government estimation, by 2017-18 almost every government related transaction will be IT-based. 

Apart from this, the budget also focused on promoting the state as a hub of IT software manufacturing by creating 12 hardware manufacturing parks. The finance minister also declared that Mavoor would have a Japanese-Korean industrial cluster. Also, there will be expansion and construction of IT parks in Kerala. 

• Internet connectivity
• Kerala Budget
• Kerala state government