PM Narendra Modi launches submarine optical fibre cable between Chennai and Port Blair

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday launched the submarine Optical Fibre Cable between Chennai and Port Blair via video conferencing.

The submarine optical fibre cable link will deliver bandwidth of 2 x 200 Gigabits per second (Gbps) between Chennai and Port Blair, and 2 x 100 Gbps between Port Blair and the other islands of Andaman and Nicobar Islands chain.

The submarine cable will also connect Port Blair to other seven islands - Swaraj Dweep (Havelock), Little Andaman, Car Nicobar, Kamorta, Great Nicobar, Long Island, and Rangat.

The Prime Minister laid foundation stone for this project on December 30, 2018 at Port Blair.

The project is funded by the Government through the Universal Service Obligation Fund under Ministry of Communications.

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) executed the project while Telecommunications Consultants India Limited (TCIL) was its technical consultant.

About 2,300 km of Submarine Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) has been laid at a cost of about Rs 1,224 crore, and the project has been completed in time, the statement from Department of Telecom said.

Addressing during the occassion, the PM said " through our efforts today, not only will the islands and its residents get new facilities in the coming decade but it will also establish Andaman and Nicobar on the world tourist map in a major way."

This optical fibre cable project, connecting Andaman and Nicobar with rest of the country is a symbol of our commitment towards ease of living. Be it online classes, tourism, banking, shopping or telemedicine, thousands of families in Andaman-Nicobar will now get its access, he said.

Insisting that importance of the islands has increased in light of India's 'Act East' policy, PM said that an 'Island Development Agency' was created three years ago, as a result of which connectivity is being enhanced between 12 islands of the cluster.

The PM also said there is a proposal to build a transshipment port in Great Nicobar at an estimated investment of Rs 10,000 crore.

Earlier, taking to Twitter, PM Modi said that the inauguration of the submarine Optical Fibre Cable in Andaman and Nicobar Islands will ensure high-speed broadband connectivity, fast and reliable mobile and landline telecom services and delivery of e-governance platforms to the islands, crucial for India's security.