Kerala is rolling out free broadband for its poorest citizens. What’s stopping your government? | Oommen C Kurian | The Guardian, 19 June 2023
ioi_ab's bookmarks 2023-06-19
Summary:
"Digital poverty and exclusion hide in plain sight. In an era of hyper-connectivity, millions are left in the shadows, even in the wealthiest countries. Data from the US shows that a quarter of America’s rural population, a staggering 14.5 million people, still don’t have access to broadband. In a world where billions are connected, the stark reality of this absence looms large, leaving more than 3 billion people on the margins of the digital age. As life moves online, it only exacerbates existing inequalities, limiting access to education, healthcare, job opportunities and essential services. This takes us to Kerala in south India, home to about 34 million people. There, the communist-led state government is launching something called the Kerala Fibre Optical Network (KFON) – and it’s a major milestone. (It is worth noting the irony that the communist government, which has a history of opposing the introduction of computers, is now at the forefront of this digital initiative.) In 2016, the state recognised the internet as a basic citizen’s right, joining other polities like Finland, Costa Rica and France. Next on the agenda: making this new right mean something. Despite facing various setbacks – such as the pandemic and a corruption allegation that led to the arrest of the senior bureaucrat who was previously in charge of KFON (he denies the allegation) – the project has finally been launched. It’s a fibre-optic broadband network project, aiming to provide affordable and reliable internet connectivity to every household, government institution and business entity in the state...."