God’s own country, Kerala, recently got its own internet service. It is the first and only state in India to have received access to its own internet service. Along with this, the Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan, declared the internet as one of the basic rights of the people of the state. The ISP license access is given by the Department of Telecommunications of the Government of India to the Kerala Fiber Optic Network Ltd (KFON).
With the help of the KFON project, the government has provided internet access to everyone in the state. The project also aims at providing free internet to the population which is Below Poverty Line and around 30,000 government offices. With the help of this project, the digital rift which has been created will be removed as the internet is now a basic human right in the state. Before this, the US had granted the internet as a basic right to its people in 2016.
KFON is in partnership with Multiple System Operators, Telecommunication Service Providers, and Internet Service Providers which will also provide free internet to households which fall under the economically backward category.
The internet service will be provided to all government offices, educational institutions, hospitals, etc. The services will be secured, reliable and scalable intranet which will help in connecting different areas of focus.
Kerala is known for its eye-soothing mountain peaks, tea estates, forests, clear backwater, tranquil beaches and where nature bestows itself. With the help of free internet services, the state is turning digital. This will help in attracting tourists and put offbeat places on the map and make them easily accessible for people to visit. Visitors can now enjoy the beauty of Kerala without the fear of not knowing the route, thanks to the free internet services.
With this decision, the importance of digital is enhanced. It also shows that the region is ready to adopt new techniques without losing its identity.
