Internet connection at home was never in the scheme of things for Saritha and her family from Edava in Thiruvananthapuram district. Even when her daughter Meera began her degree studies, she depended mostly on mobile Internet for her academic needs, as a regular connection was unaffordable. But, when the Kerala government announced the launch of the Kerala Fibre Optic Network (K-FON) with an aim to provide free Internet connections to 20 lakh below the poverty line (BPL) households, the family decided to apply for one at the panchayat office.
“A small welding workshop attached to the home is our source of income. When we heard about K-FON, we submitted the application with a copy of the BPL card around a year ago. Last week, they arrived with the modem and we arranged a laptop. Now, we have begun getting the connection at a good speed. It will be really helpful for my daughter for her studies,” says Saritha.
Naisa Fathima from Pallikkal, another K-FON beneficiary, who is preparing for Civil Services examination, also says this is the first Internet connection at home. Niranjan, a degree student from Kovalam, says his family used to depend upon a paid broadband connection, but with K-FON’s arrival, they no longer need that connection.
