Around 20 lakh will get fast, free internet connection through the project, Pinarayi Vijayan said (File)
The first phase of the Kerala Fibre Optic Network (K-FON) project, aimed at providing free internet connections to families living Below Poverty Line in the state, was launched on Monday by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
"I am happy to inform you that the K-FON has become a reality," Mr Vijayan said as he inaugurated the project online.
The first phase, which will also help connect users in schools, hospitals, offices and houses, was launched in Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram districts of the state.
Pinarayi Vijayan claimed the project is a "revolutionary step" by his government to end the digital divide in the state and lift it to the height of development, linking all houses and offices with optical fibre network.
The K-FON project was launched to provide quality internet free of cost to the poor and at affordable rates to others, he said.
About 20 lakh people will get very fast and free internet connection through this project, he said.
"With the implementation of this project, the state government is laying a strong foundation to help Kerala grow as a knowledge economy and IT hub," the Chief Minister said.
The state government had announced in May 2020 that the project would be launched to provide free internet access to the poor.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)