How has Chennai Andaman Submarine Project changed the lives of people?

Andaman & Nicobar Islands, an archipelago of 38 islands, was connected to the mainland through a satellite link with limited bandwidth capacity with high latency. To ensure high-speed internet connectivity, the government decided to install a submarine optical link from the Mainland (Chennai) to A&N islands. 

 

The project connected Port Blair along with seven islands of Andaman & Nicobar, including Little Andaman, Car Nicobar, Kamorta, Great Nicobar, Havelock, Long Island and Rangat. The total length of the submarine cable project is 2250 km, and have four fiber pairs. Each fiber pair has the ultimate capacity of 6.4 Tbps with very low latency. Before the launch of the optical fiber cables, the combined bandwidth availability for A&N Islands was only 3.2 Gbps.

 

Why did the people of A&N islands need a sub-sea optical fiber network?

 

The people of A&N Islands could not avail the benefits of the services that were launched under the Digital India initiative due to poor connectivity. Most prominently, they were not able to make digital transactions for the purchases they made. Local shopkeepers complained that their businesses were not thriving owing to the customers needing help to make use of online payment solutions. 

 

Entrepreneurs suffered a lot because of a lack of connectivity. They had to open offices on the mainland to cater to the needs of the clients and customers. The hotel business suffered a lot because tourists complained of a lack of connectivity. They were not able to make calls from the comfort of their rooms. 

 

Locals also experienced a lot of problems owing to poor connectivity. Their calls did not connect easily, and call drops were common due to poor network coverage. 

 

 

Better services availed by the Islanders owing to the optical network 

 

Locals in A&N Islands have started availing services that are way superior what they used to before the launch of the submarine optical fiber network. The project has helped them avail the services related to education and medicine because of the project. 

 

The implementation of the Chennai Andaman Submarine Project has ushered in a new era of hyper-connectivity, greatly enhancing the ability of doctors to deliver superior healthcare services to their patients. With improved communication channels, doctors can now interact more effectively with their patients. The sharing of medical reports, particularly for patients residing across different islands, has become significantly easier. This hyper-connectivity has not only streamlined communication but has also opened up avenues for telemedicine, expanding the possibilities of remote medical consultations and treatments.

 

Prior to the introduction of the CANI project, students encountered numerous challenges in their educational pursuits. Educators say that students faced difficulties accessing books and attending classes. After the launch of the optical fiber network, they can access universities in Chennai, Kolkata, and around the world. In the past, children had to travel to the mainland for coaching and educational support. However, with the arrival of optical fiber connectivity, students can now stay in Port Blair and neighboring areas while benefiting from the resources and opportunities available on the mainland.

 

Businesses have started to become more profitable. 

 

Owing to the optical fiber network, businesses are able to make better profits. The cost of operations of businesses has come down as they do not have to open offices on the mainland. Tourist arrivals have also witnessed remarkable growth owing to the better services on the islands. This has helped the hotel business grow. 

 

Protection of the sub-sea optical fiber network

 

The sub-sea fibre optical network has been installed at a cost of Rs 1224 crore, and there is a need to provide a protective shield to it. An underwater intrusion detection system is used to detect activities that can harm the system. The system has sensors that will set off alarms when it senses an intrusion. It has the ability to process different kinds of signals. Acoustic sensors in the underwater intrusion detection system will transmit acoustic waves underwater and receive echoes to obtain the distance, direction and depth of the intruder. Non-acoustic sensors in the system will detect magnetism radiated from the intruder. Electric field sensors have the ability to detect any electric field.