Kerala govt's broadband service gets major upgrade with OTT services, national ambition follows

The Print

10 hours ago

'All entertainment is there. The amount will also be good. People will be able to afford it,' KFON Managing Director Santhosh Babu told ThePrint.
Kerala Fibre Optic Network Ltd (KFON) will provide access to 29 OTT platforms and 350 channels starting 21 August, with a preference for south Indian languages. The OTT platforms will include services such as Jio and Hotstar, but not Netflix and Amazon Prime.
Thiruvananthapuram: In a major upgrade, the Kerala government's broadband service is set to launch Over-the-Top (OTT) services through its network as part of a digital strategy to add value-added services at a time when the state has achieved 100 percent digital literacy.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will announce the monthly tariff at the official launch on 21 August. Launched in 2023, KFON was the Kerala government's massive digital infrastructure initiative aimed at bridging the digital divide by providing broadband internet services at an affordable cost. It provides internet services free of cost to families below the poverty line (BPL), and to others at slightly lower rates compared to other providers.
As of 20 August, KFON has 116,234 connections, which include 23,163 government offices, 75,773 households and 14,194 BPL families. The organisation has also served 3,079 enterprises.
The company has also acquired an Internet Service Provider Category A (ISP-A) license, which will help it expand services beyond Kerala.
'The Government of India is aggressively pushing telecom expansion nationally. In the future, we can participate in it as a consortium. We have experience and leadership. We can participate in special projects,' Santhosh said, adding that the company is looking for potential partners to expand business outside Kerala.
Also Read: Year after release of Hema panel report, Malayalam actors' body elects women to its top positions
For a digitally inclusive society
A massive digital infrastructure project, KFON's expansion comes as the state declares itself 100 percent digitally literate. Led by the Local Self Government Department (LSGD), Kerala utilised young volunteers as well as its Kudumbashree mission for door-to-door surveys and training on 15 essential smartphone activities. The programme, called Digi Keralam, was launched in 2023 following the success of a similar initiative in Thiruvananthapuram district's Pullampra Panchayat during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021.
'It was in 1991 that Kerala became the first Indian state to achieve full literacy. In the 2011 Census, the state was again noted for achieving 99.31 percent literacy. Now, after three decades, Kerala has become the first state in India to achieve complete digital literacy,' Minister for Local Self Governments M.B. Rajesh said Tuesday.
Rajesh said 83,45,879 families were surveyed to identify the population that needed digital training. Of these, 21,88,398 were shortlisted for training, and 99.98 percent have completed it and cleared the evaluation. He added that the initiative covered people of all ages, including 1,35,668 between 76 and 90 years, and over 15,000 above 90 years.
The LSGD also launched an updated version of Harithamithram 2.0 on Wednesday, an online garbage monitoring system that will be integrated with the Kerala Smart Management of Administrative Reforms and Technology (KSMART). Developed by the Kerala Information Mission, KSMART is the state's e-governance platform that digitises several local body services, including civil registration and building permits.
'It shows the government's vision. On one side, we are trying to make all services online, and in parallel, we want everyone to be equipped with the necessary skills to use them,' Rajesh said.
Santhosh said KFON was able to reach the remotest areas as part of the state government's policy to ensure digital rights for everyone.
He added that the company provided free internet connections to 103 families in Kottoor (Thiruvananthapuram), 300 families in Attapadi (Palakkad), and several households in Valanthakad Island (Ernakulam), regions that have historically faced significant connectivity challenges. He said the infrastructural upgrade has brought many positive changes to the settlements.
'All the people are using phones. For that, they need the internet. If they have common WiFi, it's easy. They should also avail themselves of services online. There is no point in being digitally literate just to use a phone. But when we use it for education, startup opportunities, e-governance, then only it becomes powerful,' Santhosh said.
He added that through a collective initiative, the state can bring innovators even from the remotest corners, supported by Kerala's 100 percent electrification.
However, Santhosh added that the company's nature is 'more private than the private sector', as it ensures cost-effectiveness while its welfare initiatives are mostly CSR or government-funded. He expressed confidence that KFON will grow further as it's the biggest network in Kerala.
(Edited by Sugita Katyal)
Also Read: 'Absent', 'rude'—a year on, Suresh Gopi's star win fades in Thrissur amid voter trust deficit