Central Idea

Free Internet: The Kerala government officially launched KFON, a flagship project aimed at reducing the digital divide and promoting e-governance.
Bridging the Digital Divide: KFON intends to provide high-speed broadband internet access to all households and government offices in Kerala.

What is KFON?

KFON acts as an optical fibre cable network infrastructure provider, covering 30,000 km and 375 Points-of-Presence across Kerala.
KFON’s infrastructure is shared with all service providers, including cable operators, benefiting both government offices and individual beneficiaries.
Local ISP/TSP/cable TV providers are responsible for providing internet connectivity to households.

Connectivity Goals: The initial stage of KFON aims to connect 30,000 government offices and 14,000 BPL (Below Poverty Line) families in Kerala.
Internet Speed and Mobile Connectivity: KFON promises internet speeds ranging from 10 Mbps to 10 Gbps and is expected to improve mobile phone call quality.
Progress: As of June 5th, 17,412 government offices and 2,105 houses have been connected, with cable networks laid down for 9,000 houses.

Internet Connection for BPL Families: KFON aims to provide internet connections, free of cost, to 20 lakh families below the poverty line.
Phase 1 implementation: The first phase targets 14,000 BPL families, with a long-term plan to select 100 BPL families in each assembly constituency for high-speed internet access.

Left’s Alternative Model of Development: KFON is showcased by the CPI(M) government as part of their commitment to the public sector and an alternative development model.
Rural Connectivity Challenges: KFON addresses the limited infrastructure and bandwidth provided by private telecom operators in rural areas.
Enhanced Service Delivery: KFON was established to ensure efficient service delivery, quality, reliability, interoperability, and security.

Joint Venture and Ownership: KFON is a joint venture of Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) and Kerala State IIT Infrastructure Limited, with KSEB owning the infrastructure assets.
Project Implementation: A consortium led by Central PSU Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) is responsible for implementing the KFON project.
Project Funding: The project is fully funded by the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB).

Core Network Infrastructure: KFON aims to create an information highway with non-discriminatory access, connecting government offices and educational institutions.
Range of Services: KFON offers connectivity to government offices, leasing of dark fibre, internet leased line, fibre to the home, wifi hotspots, colocation of assets, IPTV, OTT, and cloud hosting.
Licenses and Facilities: KFON holds Infrastructure Provider (category one) and Internet Service Provider (category B) licenses, allowing access to optic fibre network infrastructure.