PM Modi inaugurates OFC connecting Chennai, Port Blair; says development of Andaman and Nicobar crucial

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the submarine Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) connecting Chennai and Port Blair on Monday, handing a major boost to the local economy and connectivity. Addressing people during the inauguration, the PM said that it was country's 'responsibility' to provide connectivity to an important strategic location such as the Andaman and Nicobar islands. 

"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," he said. 

He added that the importance of islands has increased in light of India's 'Act East' policy. The prime minister said that an 'Island Development Agency' was created three years ago, as a result of which connectivity is being enhanced between 12 islands of the cluster. 

"Completing the work of laying 2,300 km long cable undersea before the scheduled time is praiseworthy. Deep-sea surveys, maintaining cable quality and laying cable using special ships is not easy," PM Modi said. 

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Reacting to the development, Bharti Airtel congratulated the Department of Telecommunications. With the commissioning of the fiber link, Airtel has become the first mobile operator to launch ‘Ultra-Fast 4G’ services in Andaman and Nicobar. The blazing fast speeds on Airtel’s 4G network will deliver a world-class digital experience to customers on the islands.     

“The new fiber link marks a major milestone in India’s digital transformation journey as this critical infrastructure reaches the strategic archipelago. We are grateful to the Hon’ble Prime Minister for taking the time to launch this key digital infrastructure,” Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman, Bharti Airtel said.