Shillong (Meghalaya) [India], December 17 (HBTV): Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma virtually launched the 'Fibre-to-Home Broadband for Tura town' under the Last Mile Connectivity (LMC) project from Shillong on Tuesday.

According to officials, the commissioning of the LMC at the Deputy Commissioner's Office will ensure residents of Tura Town gain access to reliable Fibre to the Home (FTTH) broadband through a local Internet Service Provider (ISP), which will source broadband in bulk from PowerTel.

During the launch, the Chief Minister emphasized the government's commitment to providing accessible, transparent, reliable, and cost-effective internet services. He highlighted efforts to boost internet penetration for both citizens and government offices in remote parts of Meghalaya.

The LMC project leverages the existing optical ground wire (OPGW) infrastructure powered by the International Internet Gateway (IIG) project. This will enhance Tech Park initiatives by delivering low-latency, high-speed, secure, and cost-effective bandwidth.

Addressing the challenges of underground optical fibre cables (OFCs), Sangma explained that the state government, in partnership with Power Grid Teleservices Ltd, is using OPGW laid on high-voltage transmission lines by the Meghalaya Power Transmission Corporation Ltd (MePTCL).

MePTCL has already installed 665 km of OPGW on its transmission lines, with an additional 225 km under development. PowerTel has leased one pair of OPGW from MePTCL exclusively for the LMC project.

The Chief Minister announced plans to establish a robust OPGW-based backbone to extend OFC connectivity to every Block Headquarter (BHQ), Sub-Divisional Headquarter (SDHQ), District Headquarter (DHQ), and other offices, ensuring connectivity to grassroots users across the state.

He added that FTTH services would be extended from government office HQs and MePTCL stations through collaborations with local ISPs and entrepreneurs.

Phase I of the LMC project will connect 30 administrative HQs, including nine DHQs, one SDHQ, and 20 BHQs.   

(ANI)