THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Taking a giant leap in the internet arena, the Kerala Fibre Optic Network (KFON) has acquired the Internet Service Provider-Category A licence, which will give KFON operational permission throughout the country.
Launched by Kerala government to erase the digital divide, KFON aims to establish 75,000 new BPL connections by March 2026.
“Though the new licence opens before us a pan-India market possibility, that is not the intended aim,” KFON managing director Santhosh Babu told TNIE.
He said with the Category A licence, KFON can collaborate with bigger organisations like metro rail networks, which will expand its business further.
The company will also be able to provide internet to people living on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border. KFON, which currently has over one lakh customers, earlier held a Category-B licence that allowed it to operate within the state.
KFON has already provided more than 14,000 connections to people in the BPL category, and has now set a higher goal of 75,000 new connections by the end of this financial year.
“Towards that end, the government has agreed to provide us Rs 60 crore. If the fund is received in a timely manner, we won’t have any issue in achieving the target,” Santhosh said.
Those availing BPL connections -- which are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis -- will not have to pay internet charges for the first year.
With a turnover of around Rs 267 crore, KFON is also planning to collaborate with other companies in a consortium format to increase its revenue.
The internet service provider is trying to acquire a Virtual Network Operator licence, which will open new spaces in the tech industry.
However, a lack of human resources remains a hurdle for the firm.