Context: The Prime Minister inaugurated the Kochi-Lakshadweep Islands Submarine Optical Fiber Connection (KLI – SOFC) project  to resolve the slow internet speed problem in Lakshadweep.

About Kochi-Lakshadweep Islands Submarine Optical Fiber Connection Project

• Aim: The Kochi-Lakshadweep Islands Submarine Optical Fiber Connection (KLI – SOFC) project aims to increase the internet speed by over 100 times, from 1.7Gbps to 200Gbps. 
• Funding: Total financial implication is about Rs 1072 crore funded by Universal Service Obligation (USO) Fund. 
  • USO Fund was established with fundamental objective of providing access to “Basic” telecommunication services to people in remote and rural areas at affordable and reasonable prices.
• Project Execution Agency: Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) was nominated as the Project Execution Agency

Other Major Development Initiative:

• Low-Temperature Thermal Desalination (LTTD) plant at Kadmat: It has been designed to produce 1.5 lakh litres of clean drinking water every day and is operational now. 
• Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTC) in all households: The saturation of tapped water connections to all houses in Agatti and Minicoy islands. 
• Solar power plant at Kavaratti: It is the first-ever battery-backed solar power project of Lakshadweep to address energy challenges.
• Primary Health Care facility: It has been started in Kalpeni.
  • Construction of five model Anganwadi Centres (Nand Ghars) in the five islands of Androth, Chetlat, Kadmat, Agatti and Minicoy are in progress. 
• Ice Plant in Agatti: It will create new opportunities related to seafood processing and Tuna Fish export. 

About Lakshadweep

• It is an archipelago of 36 coral islands with an area of 32 sq km in the Arabian Sea, off the coast of Kerala, India 
  • Only 10 islands are inhabited
  • The easternmost island lies about 185 miles (300 km) from the coast of the state of Kerala.
• It is a Union Territory established in 1956. 
• Capital: Kavaratti Island.
• Geography: The islands are made of coral reefs and green coconut groves.
• Culture: The population is predominantly Muslim, with fishing as the main occupation. 
• Environment: The islands are a haven for endangered marine turtles, with nesting sites for green turtles and hawksbill turtles. 

Must Read: What Are Optical Fibre Cables And How Do They Works?

Source: The Economic Times