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Kerala, the first state in India to declare the right to Internet as a basic right, has over 189 Adivasi ooru (tribal colonies) in 12 districts that still lack access to the Internet and mobile connections. This lack of connectivity is affecting over 5,000 tribal students residing in these colonies.
Idukki district has the highest number of tribal colonies that are digitally cut off from the mainland, with 75 colonies and over 2,000 tribal students. Kannur district comes in second with 1,140 students.

To address this issue, the Directorate of Scheduled Tribes Development department has sought permission from the Forest department to set up towers in tribal colonies located within the forest under the Forest Rights Act. These towers will provide Internet and mobile connections to these colonies as part of a Union Cabinet-approved project to offer 4G services in remote areas. Once permission is granted, work on setting up the towers will begin.

The government has also set up community study rooms across the state, which provide Internet facilities for students to use. However, students from digitally isolated colonies rarely have access to these facilities.

In 2019, the previous Left Democratic Front (LDF) government launched the KFON project, which aimed to provide free Internet access to 20 lakh below the poverty line (BPL) families in the state. The first phase of the project was commissioned in June 2023. The Kerala High Court has previously held that access to the Internet is a fundamental right to education and privacy under Article 21 of the Constitution.

Efforts are being made to bridge the digital divide in tribal colonies by ensuring Internet connectivity to these remote areas. It is hoped that by December, the state will be able to address this issue and provide Internet access to these marginalized communities.

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