Soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the submarine Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) connecting Chennai and Port Blair on Monday, telecommunications Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the OFC work was completed on time.
Lauding the work of 2313 km optical fibre cable connecting Chennai and Port Blair, Prasad said that the Optical Fibre Cable will not only connect Port Blair but also seven other islands. He said that the telecommunication department is trying to install VSAT at 200 locations in Jammu and Kashmir for Digital Satellite Phone Terminals, of which 183 are operational now.
He said, ”We will be providing satellite phones to our army personnel so that they can talk to their families from their post of duty.’
Addressing a press conference Prasad said, ”Dept of Telecommunications is determined to strengthen strategic security & strategic communication and also our commitment to cover the uncovered villages.”
Earlier in the day, PM Modi said that 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.
It is to be noted that the submarine cable will connect Port Blair to Swaraj Dweep (Havelock), Little Andaman, Car Nicobar, Kamorta, Great Nicobar, Long Island and Rangat.
The foundation stone for the project was laid by PM Modi on December 30, 2018, at Port Blair.