Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that the state has declared the right to internet as a fundamental right of the citizens. As part of this, the K-phone program was introduced by the state to ensure that the poor have access to free and affordable internet. The Chief Minister said that the consortium has assured that the project will be completed by December this year.
No other Indian state has implemented such a scheme, he said. The consortium is comprised of two companies under the central government to implement this project which is estimated to cost Rs 1500 crore. The consortium is a joint venture between public sector companies, Bharat Electronics Limited and RailTel and private companies such as SRIT and LS Cables. Today, a video conference was held with the heads of companies in the consortium.
The Chief Minister added that the completion of the project would be a great achievement for Kerala. He said that the K-phone would stimulate the knowledge-based economy the state envisions and would spur the efforts to attract investment to Kerala. The K-phone is probably the most powerful Internet network in India. K – phone is a joint venture between Kerala State IT Infrastructure Limited and KSEB. The optical fiber cable reaches customers through KSEB lines, he said.