About
12,909 gram panchayats, 46,000 government offices, educational
institutions and hospitals are slated to receive free wifi over the next
three years through the Optic Fibre Grid being set up in Andhra
Pradesh.
By Sreenivas Janyala
Information Technology advisor to AP Government, J Satyanarayana said
that the project will cost Rs 4,660 crores of which the Centre will
provide Rs 3,840 crores as part of the National Optic Fibre Network, and
the state government will allot Rs 820 crores. While the work on the
optic fibre grid will officially start on October 22 on Dasara, some
55,000 kms of optic fibre cable has been prepared using Geographical
Information System (GIS).
“Our aim is to provide free wifi connectivity to all villages,
educational institutions, hospitals along with 46,000 government
institutions,” Satyanarayana said. At least 1.20 crore households in AP
will also be provided 15 to 20 Mbps internet connections for under Rs
200 per connection per month by the end of 2018, according to IT
Minister P Raghunath Reddy.
The grid will have two main rings covering 2,491 kms across the 13
districts in the state. The project envisages connecting to all gram
panchayats from mandal headquarters which are already connected through
the BSNL network. Horizontal connectivity from gram panchayats to
schools and other educational institutions, primary health centres and
government offices will be given through wifi.
The government has already issued right of way orders and a pilot
project is going on in Parwada Mandal of Vizag district where villages
under 17 gram panchayats are being linked with wifi.
The Power Grid Corporation Ltd is the executing agency while Bharat
Broadband Network Limited, the special purpose vehicle created by
Government of India, will establish, manage and operate the grid under
the National Optical Fibre Network. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu
asked collectors to monitor the progress of work in their respective
districts.
The CM set a deadline of three years for the completion of grid in
the state after it is launched this Dasara, adding that the fibre grid
must be put to full utilization in sectors like education, medicine,
e-governance, agriculture, rural development, e-commerce.
The fibre optic grid is one of the five grids being established by
the AP Government; the four others are Water Grid, Gas Grid, Power Grid,
and Road Grid.
Officials said that the internet connectivity in every nook and
corner of the state will help in improving citizen services, improve
digital literacy and skill development, and help in good governance
besides enable IT Enabled Services to set up BPOs or call centres in
rural areas.
- See more at:
http://computer.financialexpress.com/egov-watch/egovwatch13k-gram-panchayats-in-andhra-pradesh-to-enjoy-free-service-by-2019/11960/#sthash.4Cpm2w70.dpuf
About 12,909 gram panchayats, 46,000 government offices, educational institutions and hospitals are slated to receive free wifi over the next three years through the Optic Fibre Grid being set up in Andhra Pradesh.
Information Technology advisor to AP Government, J Satyanarayana said that the project will cost Rs 4,660 crores of which the Centre will provide Rs 3,840 crores as part of the National Optic Fibre Network, and the state government will allot Rs 820 crores. While the work on the optic fibre grid will officially start on October 22 on Dasara, some 55,000 kms of optic fibre cable has been prepared using Geographical Information System (GIS).
