In a bid to improve internet connectivity among the people, the Kerala government on Monday announced the first state-owned broadband service K-FON. Kerela Fibre Optic Network (K-FON), a state-run initiative launched by chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan- led government.According to the sources, the initiative will provide free access to the Internet to over 20 lakh people in the state. While announcing the same, CM Vijayan said that he proudly dedicates it to the people of the state. Taking it to Twitter, he said, “Finally, #Kerala has realized the dream of becoming the first state with its internet service! It was a proud moment to dedicate #KFON to the people. It offers free internet connections to 20 lakh families, thus ending the digital divide by ensuring internet access for all.”Finally, #Kerala has realized the dream of becoming the first state with its own internet service! It was a proud moment to dedicate #KFON to the people. It offers free internet connections to 20 lakh families, thus ending the digital divide by ensuring internet access for all. pic.twitter.com/aKXiZQaaEG— Pinarayi Vijayan (@pinarayivijayan) June 5, 2023 As per sources, Keralas internet, K-FON is aimed at bridging the digital divide, the project will provide high-speed internet to 20 lakh families for free, and at nominal rates for the rest, which is a big step in transforming Kerala into a knowledge economy.The service is advertised as providing high quality and speed at rates that are comparable to those of other service providers. The most affordable package would have a monthly fee of Rs 299 (excluding GST) and a 20 Mbps speed. A 3,000 GB monthly free download cap is also included. The top package offered by K-FON costs Rs 1,249 (without GST) and offers 250 Mbps of speed. The plan has a monthly free download cap of 5,000 GB.According to the information for the service, its an “information highway with non-discriminatory access to all service providers to augment their connectivity gap.” The project will be built at Rs 1,500 crore, in which a 35,000 km optical fibre network would be built throughout the state. The Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) provided the funding. CM also added that the project will cover over 14,000 households in the state.
