HYDERABAD, India, December 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --
To boost Andhra Pradesh's digital infrastructure to an enviable modernity with breakthrough technology, the Andhra Pradesh State FiberNet Limited (APSFL) a fully-owned company of Government of Andhra Pradesh and X Development LLC, known as X, Alphabet's moonshot factory that works on new cutting-edge technologies, co-signed a landmark agreement.
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Improving connectivity is a top priority for the government of Andhra Pradesh and APSFL was created to set up and manage the ambitious and first-of-its-kind transformative information high-way of the state - AP Fiber Grid. Honorable Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Nara Chandrababu Naidu views AP Fiber Grid as the means of bringing high quality and affordable digital services (data, voice and video etc.) to every household, government offices and private agencies connecting approximately 53 million people in the State of Andhra Pradesh. FiberNet is a part of the BharatNet initiative and Andhra Pradesh is the first state to implement state-led model in the country. With an innovative thought from the honorable Chief Minister, the adoption of aerial fiber model over utility poles to achieve faster implementation of this project stringing 24,000kms of fiber cable & setting up 2,464 pops in a record time of 9 months that changed the whole perception and direction of BharatNet in the country. The network has 52% of ring and 48% of linear connectivity, and covers 85% of households in the state of Andhra Pradesh leaving 15% still isolated from being connected to the network.
However, increasing network reliability in Andhra Pradesh and connecting isolated and difficult terrain, forest areas, river crossings, railway crossings viz-a-viz the remotest reaches of the state with broadband connections has remained a challenge.
To overcome those hindrances, the APFSL has entered this agreement with X who as the innovation partner will deploy their FSOC (Free Space Optical Communication) technology.
Speaking at the collaboration ceremony in the United States today, Nara Lokesh, Minister for Information and Technology, Government of Andhra Pradesh, remarked, "The Government of Andhra Pradesh is committed to bring high speed Internet and broadband connections to about 12 million households and 1,30,000 enterprises (govt. and private) by March 2019. Our government has always championed advanced technology solutions for the greater good of the people of Andhra Pradesh and we are thrilled as APSFL and X are joining forces."
The Minister further added, "Fiber Grid is primarily aimed at harnessing the power of information resource and enabling provision of qualitative and cost-effective IT, communication (data, voice & video) and other related services to all the citizens. With broadband becoming the basic platform for provision of a number of services like e-governance, e-health, e-commerce, e-banking; universal access to Internet is a must to empower the citizens. Broadband will not only help citizens connect with their friends, family and communities but also use the online tools and information to help find jobs, start businesses, access healthcare, education and financial services. Such inclusion significantly reduces the digital divide and promotes economic prosperity and enhances the happiness index of our people."
X will initially supply AP state with two thousand FSOC links. X engineers and experts on site in AP will work together with APFSL personnel in identifying and selecting suitable sites for deployment of the FSOC links. As a part of the partnership and to provide real-time support for smooth operating of this project, X will also set up a local office with the help of the Government of Andhra Pradesh
Commenting on the collaboration, entrepreneur scientist Astro Teller , 'Captain of Moonshots' at X said, "We're delighted to be partnering with AP FiberNet on this promising innovation that could overcome some of the longstanding challenges of getting high speed Internet to hard-to-reach areas, and looking forward to helping them make the benefits of the web more accessible to more people in Andhra Pradesh."
A high level delegation from the Government of Andhra Pradesh led by Honorable Minister of IT & Panchayat Raj and Rural Development, Mr. Nara Lokesh including A. Babu, MD of APSFL (Andhra Pradesh State FiberNet Limited); Raju Indukuri, Chairman of GTEN, AP Economic Development Board and Hari Prasad Vemuru, Technology Advisor to Government of Andhra Pradesh were present at the event.
Over the past few months, X has been working closely with AP State FiberNet to test that the FSOC links would be suitable for the AP Fiber Grid initiative. The positive tests resulted in the agreement to take the relationship forward.
FSOC implementation in Andhra Pradesh will address the challenges of river crossings, railway crossings connecting those areas where fiber cannot reach. FSOC will also help in providing high bandwidth to telecom towers (presently on low data rate microwave links) enabling to upgrade from 2G to 3G/4G services. Andhra Pradesh has more than 15,000 towers without fiber connectivity and relies on microwave links to maintain voice and 2G data service.
This association of AP FiberNet with X labs to implement FSOC in AP is first-of-its-kind in the world to provide wireless Internet connection at a higher speed of upto 20 Gbps and to a distance of upto 20kms. If the implementation of this project in the state of Andhra Pradesh is successful, FSOC can be taken forward to provide network connection to the remotest reaches of the world.
X Development LLC, is Alphabet's moonshot factory that works on new cutting-edge technologies like Waymo - self driving cars etc.
About Andhra Pradesh State FiberNet Limited (APSFL):
APSFL is a PSU 100% owned by the Government of Andhra Pradesh. The corporation has been established primarily to undertake the works of AP Fiber Grid with a vision to establish a highly scalable network infrastructure, accessible on a non-discriminatory basis, to provide on demand, affordable and end-to-end broadband connectivity of 10 to 20 Mbps for all households and 1 to 10 Gbps for all institutions and Multi-Dwelling Units to enable realization of the vision of Digital AP, in partnership with the Government of India and the private sector.
About BharatNet:
BharatNet is a project of national importance in India to establish, by 2017, a highly scalable network infrastructure accessible on a non-discriminatory basis, to provide on demand, affordable broadband connectivity of 2 Mbps to 20 Mbps for all households and on demand capacity to all institutions, to realise the vision of Digital India, in partnership with States and the private sector.
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