Public Digital Infrastructure at Work: Lessons from Kerala’s 2025 Local Body Elections

As elections across India increasingly rely on digital systems for coordination, monitoring, and transparency, the role of robust public digital infrastructure has become central to the conduct of democratic processes. Kerala’s 2025 Local Body Elections offered a clear example of this shift, with the Kerala Fibre Optic Network (KFON) emerging as a critical enabler of uninterrupted, technology-driven election administration.

During the election period and the subsequent declaration of results, KFON ensured seamless internet connectivity across key government institutions by strengthening the state’s core network architecture. For the result announcement, KFON provided backbone connectivity to the Kerala State Wide Area Network (KSWAN), through which all district collectorates across the state accessed stable and high-capacity internet services. This integration supported the real-time compilation, verification, and transmission of election data, reducing dependency on fragmented or ad-hoc connectivity arrangements.

Alongside the core network support, KFON also stepped in to address last-mile connectivity requirements at civil stations in Idukki, Wayanad and Kasaragod, where terrain has historically posed challenges to consistent digital access. Through temporary leased lines implemented with Keltron, uninterrupted connectivity was maintained at key administrative hubs, enabling election officials to remain linked with monitoring rooms and other departments. This proved particularly critical during time-sensitive stages of the electoral process, when seamless coordination across locations was essential.

To support peak operational requirements, KFON also provisioned dedicated 500 Mbps leased connections between district collectorates and data centres. The high-speed links enabled faster and more efficient information exchange, ensuring that administrative workflows remained stable even under heavy data loads. The service quality delivered during the election period was comparable to that offered by leading private internet service providers, underscoring the growing capability of state-owned digital infrastructure to meet mission-critical governance needs.

“KFON’s focus is on ensuring stable and dependable digital infrastructure for government systems,” said Dr Santhosh Babu IAS (Retd.), Managing Director, KFON. “Dedicated connectivity at civil stations is intended to support uninterrupted election-related processes and enable smoother administrative functioning,” he added.

Beyond Kerala, the experience reflects a broader national trend, where the credibility and efficiency of elections are increasingly intertwined with the strength of underlying digital networks. As governments across India invest in public broadband infrastructure, Kerala’s model highlights how state-led connectivity initiatives can play a quiet but decisive role in safeguarding administrative continuity and democratic transparency.