Telecommunication Consultants India Limited (TCIL) and the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) are in discussions to develop a nationwide fibre grid spanning around 0.15 million kilometres of highways, aimed at enabling seamless digital connectivity and IPTV services.
According to TCIL, it has approached NHIDCL to work out a strategy for the initiative, including potential revenue models. NHIDCL has proposed that optic fibre cables be laid alongside highways during construction, creating a countrywide telecom backbone.
In addition, NHIDCL could also generate additional revenue by leasing digital infrastructure and setting up data centres at selected highway locations.
Meanwhile, the proposed network is intended to carry backhaul traffic from village blocks, addressing existing connectivity gaps between blocks and district networks. The fibre-based network would serve as a highly robust backbone for transporting last-mile traffic.
Further, the plan also includes using the fibre network for content delivery through cable operators or multiple system operators, enabling services such as live television and high-definition content distribution to designated areas. The overall deployment cost is estimated at around Rs 0.25 million per kilometre.
