The Kochi-Lakshadweep Islands subsea cable (KLI), developed as part of the Government of India’s Digital India Mission, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.
The project was announced back in 2020 by Modi launching the initiative to link the Lakshadweep Islands with a subsea cable within 1,000 days.
Funded by the Universal Services Obligation Fund (USOF) under the government’s department of telecommunications, the project was implemented by Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), a telco owned by the government of India.
"The successful completion of the KLI cable project, our second venture with BSNL, marks a pivotal moment in NEC's collaboration with the Government of India towards building a connected nation,” said Aalok Kumar, corporate officer & senior VP and head of the global smart city business at NEC Corporation, and president & CEO of NEC Corporation India.
“This initiative not only puts Lakshadweep on the digital map, it also galvanises socio-economic growth of the region. With a forward-looking data capacity and a focus on connecting people globally, we’re proud to facilitate comprehensive internet connectivity for the islands, aligning with the Digital India Mission and fostering opportunities in e-governance and digital empowerment across the region."
NEC India was awarded the contract to build and deploy the cable in September 2021, completing it ahead of schedule in June 2023.
Spanning approximately 1,870km in length, the system offers an initial capacity of 2x100 Gbps, expandable up to 1,600 Gbps per fibre pair.
The system connects Kochi, a major port city in India, with 11 Lakshadweep islands: Agatti, Andrott, Amini, Bangaram, Bitra, Chetlat, Kadmat, Kavaratti, Kiltan, Kelpeni, and Minicoy.
"Following the successful completion of an optical submarine cable system connecting Chennai, India and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands (A&N Islands) in December 2020, NEC is honoured to yet again take part in this prestigious project which we hope will open a wide range of opportunities for the people on the Lakshadweep Islands," said Atsushi Kuwahara, managing director of submarine network division, NEC.
"We would also like to thank USOF (DOT), BSNL, the Indian government agencies and especially the people of the Lakshadweep Islands for welcoming this project and helping to bring it to completion," he added.
