OFC on Digital Highways: Hyderabad-Bengaluru Highway gets priority

NEW DELHI: The Union Government has announced that it will develop optical fibre cables infrastructure up to a distance of 10,000 kilometers and Digital Highways across the country by financial year 2024-25.

The Centre said that the Digital Highways development would be taken up on the Delhi-Mumbai expressway in a stretch of 1,367 km and the Hyderabad-Bengaluru corridor of 512 km distance as a pilot project. It would be implemented by National Highways Logistics Management Limited established under the National Highway Authority of India by developing integrated utility corridors along the national highways to develop OFC infrastructure.

According to the Centre, the Digital Highways would help in the expansion of internet access including 5G, 6G technology in remote areas. It said that the process of implementation of the program on highways started and added that it would be completed in a year. It said that 3 metres of space had been specially allocated to lay Optical Fibre Cables on the Delhi-Dausa-Lalsot route in a stretch of 246-km Delhi-Mumbai express route, which was recently launched.

With the Digital Highways concept, the internet services can be availed through OFC either by 'Plug and Play' or 'Fiber on Demand' mode on lease by eligible customers at a specified price. However, the centre said that the process of allocation of services would be finalised adhering to the rules and regulations of TRAI and in consultation with the Ministry of Telecommunications. It said that digital highways would enhance the digitalisation of the country.