MALAPPURAM: KFON, Kerala's ambitious public broadband venture, is gearing up for a major leap beyond state borders. The government-owned network recently secured national Internet Service Provider-A (ISP) and National Long Distance (NLD) licences, setting the stage for its entry into the wider Indian broadband market.
With over 32,000km of fibre laid across the state, including 2,600km of Optical Ground Wire (OPGW) cables linked through 110 kilovolt transmission lines, K-FON already boasts Kerala's most extensive digital infrastructure.
"We currently have 10 clients using dark fibre and 16 temporary connections for special events. Now that we have the national ISP-A and NLD licences, our next goal is to expand outside Kerala," said K-FON director Dr Santhosh Babu IAS. "The only hurdle might be meeting the turnover criteria in central tenders, so we plan to form consortiums with private firms to bridge that gap."
The homegrown broadband network has so far connected 1,26,905 users, including 85,553 paid home subscribers and 14,195 Below Poverty Line (BPL) families. In addition, 23,114 government offices connected through Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) now rely on K-FON's network. "Subscription growth has been phenomenal," Santhosh Babu said. "We have another 14,000 BPL families waiting for connections, and once funds are released, we can bring them online too."
In the 2024-2025 financial year, K-FON reported a turnover of Rs 66 crore -- exceeding its target of Rs 48 crore -- and is eyeing Rs 250 crore by 2025-2026. "From next year, we will begin repaying the (KIIFB) loan. To sustain momentum, we are launching new projects, including expansion into other states," he added.
Malappuram tops the list of beneficiaries under K-FON's free connection scheme, with 3,435 economically weaker families already linked. Applicants holding yellow or pink ration cards were given priority. Kollam follows with 1,453 families, Palakkad with 1,296, and Thrissur with 1,219. Other districts that have benefited include Ernakulam (993), Kozhikode (964), Thiruvananthapuram (867), Kannur (853), Kasaragod (583), Wayanad (687), Alappuzha (581), Kottayam (471), Idukki (404), and Pathanamthitta (388).
