Thiruvananthapuram: High-speed internet connectivity is set to get a boost with the roll-out of the ambitious Kerala Fiber Optic Network (K-FON) project. In the first phase, 1,000 offices from Thiruvananthapuram to Palakkad will be connected.
The bandwidth required to connect offices will be purchased from Internet Service Providers or ISPs. Earlier, it was decided to connect offices in all the 14 districts in Kerala by February itself, but technical glitches have led to some delays.
There is uncertainty over the laying of cables in stretches of railway lines, bridges and national highways. These problem areas add up to 70 km.
Internet access to homes under the project may be delayed. Tenders will be called from service providers to provide internet to homes.
The government aims to meet the cost of providing free internet service to the poor from the rent that ISPs will have to pay to use the K-FON network. The project also aims to provide free internet to 20 lakh families living below the poverty line.