AP to set up fibre grid to deepen internet connectivity: CM

Visakhapatnam, Jan 11: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu today said his government is all ready to set up a fibre (broadband) grid aimed at connecting every household with the internet by March 2016.

In his keynote address during the second day plenary session -– 'Sunrise Andhra Pradesh: Turning Aspirations into Reality -- Vision 2029,' in CII Partnership Summit 2016, Naidu said the existing electricity poles across the state are being used for connecting the network to reduce the cost drastically.

"When we planned for fibre grid, with an objective to ensuring that every household in the state has internet, video and telephone services at doorstep, by March 2016, with a minimal charges of either Rs 100 or Rs 150 a month, it was estimated to be a whopping Rs 5000 crore.

"But, I brought it down to only Rs 320 crore, while going for an alternative of using the existing electricity poles for surface network of the fibre grid," Naidu said.

Amid the present depleting trends of economies worldwide, India is a happening country with inspiring leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Andhra Pradesh is a trend- setter with abundant opportunities available, the CM said.

Naidu told the gathering that the AP government launched State Enterprise Architecture e-Pragati, a first of its kind initiative in which all government transactions will be kept online.

PTI