Internet infrastructure in 23 Mandya villages to get a boost

Mysuru/ Mandya: In the immediate aftermath of the outbreak of Covid-19, most facets of everyday life – work, education, healthcare, even food – were thrust into the digital realm perforce. This switch to a digital lifestyle, however, was anything but seamless across the board. For instance, in the remote parts of the Malnad districts of Karnataka, where the boundaries between wilderness and civilisation are blurry, poor connectivity proved a dampener for children, who were unable to attend online classes. Upset with the state of affairs, residents of the Malnad districts launched a series of protests, and their demands were finally heeded with the authorities improving infrastructure to ensure faster, and better internet connectivity.
One would expect that Mandya district, given its proximity to Bengaluru, and its geographic location in the plains, not to grapple with similar problems. Unfortunately, residents of Mandya are none too pleased with the internet connectivity in the district. More recently, with boosting connectivity between Mysuru and Bengaluru being one of the key infrastructure projects under way in the state, a lot of investment has been directed towards Mandya, given its location between the two cities. The lack of speedy internet connectivity could well hobble Mandya’s growth as an alternative investment destination just when the shoots are beginning to sprout.
However, the Union government has taken cognisance of the situation in Mandya, and internet infrastructure in 23 villages in the district is being upgraded.
In the ongoing session of the Parliament, Mandya MP Sumalatha Ambareesh had, on December 14, pointed to the lack of internet connectivity in the district’s rural pockets. Replying to her query, Union minister of state for communications, Devusinh Chauhan said that, of the 1,487 villages in the district, 1,464 boasted excellent mobile internet connectivity, while only 23 did not. The Union minister said that the data on connectivity in Mandya’s villages was sourced from information collected from internet service providers, the communication ministry’s field unit, and the Karnataka government.
Chauhan said that, under the ‘4G Saturation Scheme of the Universal Obligation Fund’, infrastructure would be upgraded in the 23 villages coping with poor connectivity.
The Union minister said that the government’s guidelines on use of parental control filters had been shared with the internet and telecom service providers, who had, in turn, been asked to raise awareness among their subscribers about these rules.
Across Mandya, Nagamangala, Malavalli, and Srirangapatna taluks, the following 23 villages are grappling with poor internet connectivity: Halladakoppalu, Kurubanapura, Majjigemallanahatti, Talavadi, Basavanahalli, Aretippuru, Ankegowdanadoddi, Bullanadoddi, Tubinakere, Dyapasandra, Kempegowdanakoppalu, Sindhabhoganahalli, Basavanagudikoppalu, Ragimuddanahalli, Sanabadakoppalu, Singrigowdanakoppalu, Kallinathapur, Haralakere, Dasarahalli, Mangaravalli, Vadarahalli, and Mallasandra.