The Andaman and Nicobar Islands will soon be connected with the mainland through optical fibre cable (OFC) that will provide high-speed broadband in all parts of the islands.

The project was flagged off on 9 January 2020 by Union Minister for Communications and Electronics and Information Technology Ravi Prasad. The project worth Rs 1,224 crore will lay 2,250 km of submarine OFC. A similar project connecting Kochi with Lakshadweep Islands will be taken up at a cost of Rs 1,000 crore.

The Central government expects Bharat Sanchar Nigam (BSNL) to execute the project before the deadline ensuring quality. The submarine cable project will connect mainland (Chennai) to Port Blair and seven other islands - Havelock, Long Island, Ranga, Hut Bay, Car Nicobar, Kamorta and Campbell Bay.

BSNL is the project implementation agency and the work has been awarded to NEC Technologies India through a global open tender. The project is funded by Universal Service Obligation Fund/Department of Technology. It has been targeted to commission the link by June 2020.