Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday (August 10), inaugurated the submarine optical fibre cable (OFC) that connects Chennai and Port Blair of Andaman. The fibre network will also connect other parts of the archipelago like the Swaraj Dweep (Havelock), Little Andaman, Car Nicobar, Kamorta, Long Island, Great Nicobar, and Rangat.
2300 Kms of submarine OFC cable has been laid at a cost of about ₹1224 crores.
This will pave way for better landline and faster mobile and broadband internet connectivity to the islands. The foundation stone for the project was laid in 2018 at Port Blair.
The submarine OFC will deliver 2 x 200 Gigabits per second (Gbps) between Chennai and Port Blair, and 2 x 100 Gbps between Port Blair and the other islands.
This will enhance the broadband connectivity and internet experience for the consumers and businesses and will also help in strategic and governance initiatives.
The project is funded by the Government of India through the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) under the Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications. The project was executed by BSNL.
Big day for Andaman and Nicobar Islands! Watch. https://t.co/lNwI6KSEOj
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 10, 2020
Addressing the inaugration through video conferencing, PM Modi said that it was his gift to the people of Andaman ahead of Independence Day on August 15.
“This optical fiber project connecting Andaman and Nicobar to the rest of the country and the world is a symbol of our commitment to Ease of Living. Now people here will also be able to get the same cheap and good facilities of mobile connectivity and fast internet, in which India today is the leader in the whole world.”, PM Modi said.