Appearing via video conference, due to the effects of Covid, Modi said that the launch was a “very special day for the residents of Andaman and Nicobar Islands”.
Adding that the new subsea connectivity will bring much needed “High-speed broadband connectivity, fast and reliable mobile and landline telecom services, big boost to the local economy, delivery of e-governance, telemedicine and tele-education,” in a tweet.
“"Be it online classes, tourism, banking, shopping or telemedicine, thousands of families in Andaman-Nicobar will now get its access. Today, the tourists going to the Andaman will get the huge benefit of the facility. Better net connectivity has become the first priority of any tourist destination today," he continued.
The 2,300km cable has been built by Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) and despite its various challenges has been built both on time and on budget , costing approximately Rs 1,224 crore ($226.67 million).
According to sources, the new cable will deliver bandwidth of up to 400Gbps between Chennai and Port Blair, and 200Gbps between Port Blair and the other islands.
The official landing points of the new system according to the TeleGeography submarine cable map where is it named the Chennai-Andaman & Nicobar Islands Cable, include: Car Nicobar, Chennai, Great Nicobar, Havelock, Kamorta, Little Andaman, Long Island, Port Blair and Rangat, India.
The project was funded through the Universal Service Obligation Fund under India’s Ministry of Communications. With BNSL delivering the system with Telecommunications Consultants India Limited (TCIL) acting as technical consultant.
"Our dedication has been that every citizen of the country should reach every area with modern facilities, make their life easier. It has been our dedication to develop border area, areas on sea borders that are related to the country's security," concluded Modi.
