Today’s smart cities rely on optical fibre cable (OFC) connectivity to power several technology-based applications. Gurugram, a smart city known for its dy­namic business landscape and fast-paced urbanisation, has successfully implemented OFC networks, leading to the city’s rapid transformation. These networks have es­tab­lished the groundwork for a highly connected and technologically advanced smart city, offering a wide range of benefits such as enhanced efficiency and sustainability, and improved citizen services.

An OFC backbone network is planned in Gurugram to cover the entire area under the Gurugram Metropolitan Deve­lopment Authority (GMDA), which comprises Gurugram and Manesar. Fibre is being installed in these two locations under the pub­lic-private partnership (PPP) model and other innovative installation upgrades are underway.

Update on OFC network implementation

Gurugram has successfully laid approximately 400 km of OFC in sub-cities 1 to 5, covering major roads and connecting a total of 227 government buildings. Among these connected facilities are four colleges, 14 hospitals, 45 police stations, 56 schools, and 108 other government buildings. Ad­di­tionally, the city has approximately 1,700 manholes through which optical fibre can be acce­s­sed. A similar network will be established in Phase II of the CCTV project by incorporating aggregation nodes along with the laying of approximately 300 km of OFC.

The ring network comprises 34 access optical rings and 214 points of presence (PoPs). The network connects four core nodes and 10 aggregation nodes via the optical rings. Additionally, an internet proto­col/ mu­ltiprotocol label switching backbone is established to connect all optical rings to the integrated command and control centre (ICCC). Any additional PoP built for the expansion of the network will be connected to the nearest aggregation node. This network is built under the PPP model and has a 21-year maintenance support period. Further, the GMDA cloud and the ICCC are connected to the optical fibre in a ring configuration, with the ICCC having been operational since November 2019.

Supporting city-wide applications

The OFC network supports a variety of city-wide applications such as CCTV surveillance systems and data analytics, traffic monitoring and control, daily e-challan for rule violations, public transport management, environment monitoring, public call response integration, geographic information systems solutions asset management, water supply distribution and monitoring, smart LED street light monitoring and control, and property and land record management. Multiple user departments, such as the police, MCG, GMDA, and bus services, can access data from these applications in real time to take appropriate steps and plan future actions.

Further, the GMDA dashboard continuously monitors services in real time by supervising live feeds from CCTV came­ras and tracking the online and offline sta­tus of devices on a map. Data can be presented in a graphical or tabular form, de­pending on the selected time frame, be it daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly. Heat maps of services, such as smart lights and public grievances, are also accessible. Additionally, the dashboard provides details about complaint bookings and their status. The latest news and updates can be directly accessed th­ro­ugh the GMDA mobile app via the GMDA news and GMDA Twitter modules. The dashboard is accessible at https://sm­art­city.gmda.gov.in and the GMDA mobile app, available for Android and iOS operating systems.

Future projects

To expedite service digitalisation, Guru­gr­am is actively expanding the coverage of its OFC networks. In the future, the city plans to implement several projects to further enhance its development, which include:

  • Expanding the CCTV project under Phase II for wider geographic area coverage.
  • Expanding the centralised integrated water management system project is crucial for ensuring equitable water distribution, reducing water treatment plants, and improving water supply quality.
  • Providing integrated health solution as a service, along with vital testing devices, at Gurugram community health centres and primary health centres.
  • Improving the complaint handling system of the GMDA.
  • Monitoring waste collection sites, in­cluding the Bandhwari restoration facility through CCTV cameras.
  • Implementing disaster recovery as a service, which is an absolute necessity.
  • Im­plementing a smart parking system without further delay.

While the adoption of OFC networks in Gurugram has brought various advantages, it has not been without its challenges. Nevertheless, the municipal ad­mi­nistration has taken a proactive approach to tackle these difficulties. Going forward, with its OFC-powered future, Gurugram is poised to shine as a smart urban hub.

Based on a presentation by P.K. Agarwal, Adviser, Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority