FAQ
The Government of Kerala assessed the existing network infrastructure available with the government as well as service providers in the state to see the suitability and preparedness for the upcoming bandwidth requirements in the state. These were the major findings.
- There is limited fibre infrastructure with existing TELCOs in the rural areas due to low business potential, high CAPEX and stringent RoW conditions.
- High-speed wireless connectivity (3G/4G) is limited in rural areas as TELCOs need to set up more towers to provide such services. Moreover, the majority of the existing base stations/telecom towers are connected wireless, thereby limiting the bandwidth that can be provided.
- The existing connectivity through Kerala State Wide Area Network (KSWAN) is limited to 3,800 government offices and is highly dependent on service providers.
- Current infrastructure is not adequate to connect the government institutions.
Due to the reasons stated above, the Kerala Govt decided to build Kerala Fibre Optic Network (KFON), a state-wide optical fiber network capable of efficient service delivery, assured Quality of Service (QoS), reliability, interoperability, redundancy, security and which is scalable for meeting future bandwidth demands.
Cabling to Government offices will be done by KFON. Other beneficiaries will be connected in partnership with LNPs (Last Mile Network providers) who will extend the last mile connectivity.
Yes. Also, with such an intranet in place, there will not be any need of internet for accessing applications/content like e-learning, e-health hosted at government SDC.
Yes, KFON has already got ISP Category-B ISP license and IP-1 from Department of Telecom (DoT).
FTTH | Dark Fiber | ILL (Internet Leased Line) | MPLS Services | Co-location and other Network connectivity solutions.
KFON’s backbone uses a ring architecture and protects the network from fibre cuts. So essential services will work uninterrupted.
Bharat Electronics Limited which is a Central Government PSU is leading a consortium consisting of BEL, RailTel, SRIT & LS Cables and Systems for implementing KFON.
Yes, KFON being an ISP wish to work with LNPs (typical local cable operators) who will extend the KFON services from nearest KFON’s Point of Presence (PoP).
The criterion for getting free internet connectivity is economic backwardness.
The eligibility for free internet is still being defined based on the Antyodaya lists and the BPL cards.
Free connectivity to economically backward households will be provided by KFON through a selected service provider in your area.
Extending KFON free internet connectivity to 14000 economically backward families is in progress.
LNPs on-boarded by KFON will lay the cable to homes.
Household connectivity will be provided by KFON.
Interested users can visit KFON website/EnteKFON App and register for a KFON connection.
Yes, KFON is planning to augment the capacity of the network to support 20 Lakhs customers in a phased manner. As a part of the upgradation, KFON will closely work with Content providers like Netflix/Amazon/Sony to provide a superior broadband experience to KFON users.
KFON will be able to connect to the nearly 8000+ mobile towers in Kerala and significantly enhance the mobile call quality and also accelerate the 4G/5G transitions. Presently 80% of the towers are not fiberized and uses radio, an issue for the 4G/5G rollout, which will also be solved by KFON.
KSEB provided the Transmission and Distribution network for laying the Optical Fiber Cables. Bandwidth will be shared with KSEB for their datacentre and other connectivity requirements.
KFON implementation will bring the following benefits to KSEB.
Reliable and Robust Fibre Connectivity to KSEBL offices across the state- Dedicated Fibre allocated in core and access networks of KFON for the upcoming requirements of KSEBL.
- Revenue from Pole Rental charges will increase since KFON will use 70 to 80% of KSEB poles. The profit share of KSEB is 40%.
- No liability on KSEBL for the borrowed capital.
Yes, there is equipment-level protection.
Lease line protection can be ensured up to spur redundant paths in KFON through dual-route configuration. However, in an access network (last-mile connectivity) it is better to have redundant ISP connections.
KFON will accelerate the start-up ecosystem in Kerala, thereby boosting economic growth in the state. This will provide a wide array of opportunities for product and service incubators.