Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL) is close to signing contracts with Unitech, Videocon and Shyam-Sistema to share its communications infrastructure, including the 22,000 km optic fibre cable network, to facilitate the national long distance

Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL) is close to signing contracts with Unitech, Videocon and Shyam-Sistema to share its communications infrastructure, including the 22,000 km optic fibre cable network, to facilitate the national long distance (NLD) service rollout of the new operators. PGCIL, which obtained the NLD licence in 2006, intends to form a JV with these operators in which it will hold 26 per cent stake. The company is also learnt to be in talks with several service providers to offer its transmission towers on a long-term basis for the installation of Wi-Max equipment.