Internet will also reach tribal belt of Andhra, says Nara Lokesh

Andhra Pradesh Information and Technology Minister Nara Lokesh said on Saturday that the Free Space Optical Communications (FSOC) technology to be brought in the state will enable the state to provide internet facility in rural areas and the tribal belt of the state.

The Andhra Pradesh government has signed an agreement with X, the research division of Google's parent company, Alphabet, to provide high-speed wireless internet to millions of people without laying cable.

Speaking to ANI about his visit to the United States that led to the agreement, Lokesh said, "As part of my visit to the U.S., I have got an opportunity to meet 14 companies in last 30 hours. I have also had an opportunity to enter into an agreement with Google X to bring their FSOC technology to Andhra Pradesh."

The technology involves beaming of light between FSOC boxes mounted on towers, which could be placed kilometres apart from each other. This technology works like fiber optic cable but without the cable. It frees the service provider from digging earth to lay the cables or stringing cable along poles.

Lokesh informed that the FSOC technology will enable the government to "provide bandwidth data to every household not only in plain areas but also in the tribal belt."

"This is first of its kind. No other country has done it. We are very proud that India is going to get this technology and Andhra Pradesh is going to lead the way," he remarked.

The IT minister said the CEOs of other major companies have also made commitment to bring technology to India and start their offices in Andhra Pradesh.

"Over the next few months, it will be quite interesting to see quite a few of them come and start their development centres in Andhra Pradesh. The government has taken a very good target- we want to create one lakh jobs in IT space by March 2019," Lokesh added.