Nanchamma's home first to connect to KFON, heralding digital change in Attappadi

Palakkad: Attappadi has made a significant stride into the digital age with the launch of the Kerala Fibre Optic Network (KFON). In a landmark event, celebrated Malayalam singer Nanchamma received the first KFON connection in Attappadi, marking the region's entry into enhanced digital connectivity.

The connection to Nanchamma's residence was facilitated by Attappadi Cable Vision, a dedicated last-mile network provider. The event saw the presence of local panchayat authorities, highlighting the community's support for this transformative initiative.

The initial rollout of KFON will provide free internet connections to 250 families in Attappadi, focusing on remote tribal villages such as Nakkupathi, Kavundical, Idavani, Bhuthayar, Vechapati, Vellakulam, and Moolagangal. These areas, currently without mobile network coverage, will see significant benefits from this initiative. It addresses critical communication challenges, particularly during emergencies, and greatly enhances educational resources for children.

KFON has already achieved a major milestone, surpassing 10,000 commercial connections across Kerala this month. Additionally, internet leased lines have been provided to 130 large enterprises. The initiative plans to extend free connections to an additional 14,000 economically disadvantaged families, with 5,856 families already benefiting from the service. Each connection offers 1.5 GB of data per day at a speed of 20 Mbps.

Further, KFON has been implemented in 26,573 government and public sector institutions across various districts. Efforts are ongoing to connect the remaining institutions swiftly. The network aims to generate substantial revenue through internet leased lines and dark fiber leases. Currently, 5,000 km of dark fibers have been leased to various companies, with plans to expand to 10,000 km by year-end, projecting a revenue of Rs 50 crore.