Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the first undersea optical fibre project to provide high-speed internet to Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

The 2,312-kilometer-long submarine optical fibre cable (OFC) from Chennai to Andaman and Nicobar Islands was laid at a cost of Rs 1,224 crore. 

The foundation stone for this project was laid by the PM on December 30, 2018 at Port Blair.

The government has also approved laying of cables from Kochi to Lakshadweep-Kavaratti on the Western side.

Features of the submarine OFC

Earlier, A&N Islands were connected to the mainland through satellite link with limited bandwidth capacity, which was 3.2 Gigabits per second (Gbps).

The submarine OFC link will deliver bandwidth of 2x200 Gbps between Chennai and Port Blair and 2x100 Gbps between Port Blair and the other islands.

It will connect Port Blair with seven other islands of Andaman & Nicobar —  Little Andaman, Car Nicobar, Kamorta, Great Nicobar, Havelock, Long Island and Rangat.

The project is funded by the government through the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) under the Department of Telecommunications. 

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) executed the project and Telecommunications Consultants India Limited (TCIL) are the technical consultants.

How will it benefit A&N Islands?

• This connectivity will enable delivery of faster and more reliable mobile and landline telecom services to Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

• Provision of reliable, robust and high-speed telecom and broadband facilities will be a landmark achievement from the viewpoint of consumers, as well as for strategic and governance reasons. 

• 4G mobile services, which were constrained due to limited backhaul bandwidth provided via satellite, will also see a major improvement.

• Will boost tourism and employment generation and give an impetus to the economy and raise standard of living.

• Will facilitate delivery of e-governance services such as telemedicine and tele-education.

• Small enterprises will benefit from opportunities in e-commerce, while educational institutions will utilise the enhanced availability of bandwidth for e-learning and knowledge sharing.

• Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) services and other medium and large enterprises will also reap the benefits of better connectivity.

Govt plans transshipment port at Great Nicobar Island

The government is considering investing Rs 10,000 crore for building a transshipment port at Great Nicobar Island in the Bay of Bengal to provide shippers an alternative to similar ports in the region.

The dedicated container transshipment terminal at the strategic port locale in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands along the Bay of Bengal coastline offers two geographical advantages — proximity to the busy east-west international shipping route that can facilitate shorter transits and greater economies of scale, and deep natural water depths that can accommodate the latest generation of mega-ships.

The transshipment port would enable big ships to anchor and raise India’s share in maritime trade as well as create new job opportunities.

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands administration had last year floated an expression of interest for the container transshipment terminal with the Free Trade Warehousing Zone in South Bay, Great Nicobar Island to provide Indian shippers an alternative to Colombo, Singapore and Port Klang (Malaysia) transshipment ports.

PM Modi said Andaman & Nicobar will be developed as a hub of port-led development as it is at a competitive distance from many ports of the world.

As India looks to establish itself as an important player in global supply and value chain, it is very important to strengthen the network of waterways and ports. PM said legal bottlenecks in the development of port infrastructure are also being removed continuously.

In-principle approval has been given for building a deep draft greenfield seaport on the west coast and work starting on a deep draft inner harbour on the east coast.

While blue economy like fisheries, aquaculture, and seaweed farming will accelerate the development of Andaman and Nicobar, the government is making efforts to have more facilities at the Islands.

Besides mobile and internet connectivity, physical connectivity through road, air, and water is also being strengthened. The Port Blair Airport is being enhanced to handle a capacity of 1,200 passengers. Along with this, the airports are ready for operations in Diglipur, Car Nicobar, and Campbell-Bay.

Seaplane services will start once water aerodrome infrastructure including passenger terminal and floating jetty is ready at Swaraj Dweep, Shaheed Dweep, and Long Island. Four ships are being built at Cochin Shipyard shall be delivered soon to improve the water connectivity between the islands and the mainland.

When India is moving forward with the resolve of self-sufficiency and is establishing itself as an important player in the global supply and value chain, it is very important to strengthen the network of waterways and ports.