Kerala govt to connect schools through digital network

Kerala, which is gearing up to declare itself as the first digital state in the country, has drawn up an ambitious plan to connect over 5,000 schools through digital network.
With the launching of the project, the state will become the first in the country which digitally connects schools through hi-speed internet network.
A senior official of IT@School, under the state General Education Department, said as many as 5600 schools, both government and aided, will be benefited from the project.
"As part of the project, optical fiber cable connection will be provided in 5600 schools located in 3028 campuses. This will enable the schools,including high schools and vocational higher secondary, to get high speed internet facility," IT@School Executive Director K P Noufal told PTI.

He said with this, the internet speed in school computers would increase up to 20 folds from the present.
"The project is introduced as part of the ambitious Digital Kerala programme of the state government. Procedures are going on and we are planning to launch the digital network by this October," he said.

Elaborating the programme, the official said the commoners, living in the vicinity of these schools, could also benefit from it.
"We have plans to create wi-fi hotspots in these schools under the project. Around 200 houses, located in the surroundings of these schools, can access wi-fi facility as part of the initiative," he said.

The residents can utilise the wi-fi facility to browse government sites and related links.
But those who want to use other internet facilities like whatsapp and facebook have to pay a particular amount to the government, the official added.