Prime Minister of India inaugurated the Kochi-Lakshadweep islands submarine optical fiber connection (KLI-SOFC) project among various developmental projects \covering a wide range of sectors including technology, energy, water resources, healthcare and education.
Key Facts About the KLI-SOFC Project
- Lakshadweep required digital connectivity, prompting a high-capacity submarine cable link due to limitations in satellite communication, marked by inadequate bandwidth to meet growing demand.
KLI-SOFC Project
- The KLI-SOFC project will lead to an increase in internet speed, unlocking new possibilities and opportunities.
- The project introduces Submarine Optic Fiber Cable connectivity for the first time in Lakshadweep since independence.
- Fiber optics, or optical fiber, refers to the technology that transmits information as light pulses along a glass or plastic fiber.
- The Department of Telecommunications (DOT) funded by the Universal Services Obligation Fund (USOF), completed the project. Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) was the Project Executing Agency.
- The KLI project extended submarine cable connectivity from the mainland (Kochi) to eleven Lakshadweep Islands namely, Kavaratti, Agatti, Amini, Kadmat, Chetlet, Kalpeni, Minicoy, Androth, Kiltan, Bangaram and Bitra has been extended.
Significance
- The project aligns with the goals of ‘Digital India’ and ‘National Broadband Mission,’ fostering the rollout of various e-governance projects in Lakshadweep Islands.
- E-Governance, Tourism, Education, Health, Commerce, and Industries will experience significant enhancements, contributing to improved standards of living and overall socio-economic development on the islands.
- The population of Lakshadweep Islands will benefit from high-speed wireline broadband connectivity, facilitated through Fibre to the Home (FTTH), and 5G/4G Mobile network technologies.
- The bandwidth generated by the project will be accessible to all Telecom Service Providers (TSPs), reinforcing telecom services in Lakshadweep Islands.
Other Projects in Lakshadweep Islands
Low-Temperature Thermal Desalination (LTTD) Plant at Kadmat
- Produces 1.5 lakh litres of clean drinking water every day. Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTC) in Agatti and Minicoy Islands.
- All households on the Agatti and Minicoy islands now have functional household tap connections.
- The LTTD is a process under which the warm surface seawater is flash evaporated at low pressure and the vapour is condensed with cold deep sea water.
Solar Power Plant at Kavaratti
- The first-ever battery-backed solar power project in Lakshadweep.
Primary Health Care Facility in Kalpeni
- Foundation stone laid for the renovation of the primary health care facility in Kalpeni.
Model Anganwadi Centres (Nand Ghars)
- Five model Anganwadi centres (Nand Ghars) to be constructed in the islands of Androth, Chetlat, Kadmat, Agatti, and Minicoy.