K-FON's Ambitious Expansion: Kerala's Public Broadband Venture Takes on the Indian Market
K-FON, Kerala's ambitious public broadband venture, is set to make a significant leap beyond its state borders. The government-owned network has recently secured national Internet Service Provider-A (ISP-A) and National Long Distance (NLD) licenses, paving the way for its entry into the wider Indian broadband market. With an impressive 32,000km of fiber optic cables laid across Kerala, including 2,600km of Optical Ground Wire (OPGW) cables linked through 110 kilovolt transmission lines, K-FON already boasts the state's most extensive digital infrastructure.
Dr. Santhosh Babu IAS, K-FON director, shared his vision: "Our goal is to expand beyond Kerala's borders. However, meeting the turnover criteria in central tenders could be a challenge. To address this, we plan to form strategic consortiums with private firms." K-FON has already connected 126,905 users, including 85,553 paid home subscribers and 14,195 Below Poverty Line (BPL) families. Additionally, 23,114 government offices connected through Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) rely on K-FON's network.
The network's subscription growth has been remarkable, with 14,000 BPL families awaiting connections. K-FON reported a turnover of Rs 66 crore in the 2024-2025 financial year, surpassing its target of Rs 48 crore. The network aims to reach a turnover of Rs 250 crore by 2025-2026. Dr. Santhosh Babu added, "From next year, we will begin repaying the loan. To sustain our momentum, we are launching new projects, including expansion into other states."
K-FON's free connection scheme has benefited many. Malappuram leads with 3,435 economically weaker families linked, followed by Kollam (1,453), Palakkad (1,296), and Thrissur (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).
