Sterlite to build backbone fiber-optic network for Indian military

Indian fiber and cable supplier Sterlite Technologies Ltd. (BSE: 532374, NSE: STRTECH) says it has received a purchase order from Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (BSNL) to deploy and maintain a fiber-optic backbone network in the state of Jammu & Kashmir within India’s NTP region for the country’s military. The rollout is one of several within the Network for Spectrum (NFS) project - Optical Fiber Cable (OFC) Network program in which Sterlite has a role.

The government of India has decided to release 150 MHz of wireless spectrum held by defense sector within the frequency range of 1700 MHz to 2000 MHz. To make up for this loss, the Indian military is building a series of fiber-optic networks throughout the country. The project implementation core group (PICG) within the Ministry of Defense (MoD) will own and operate the networks.

This latest order for the Jammu & Kashmir region has a value of approximately Rs.1950 Crores. Sterlite also will earn an additional Rs. 500 Crores under a seven-year maintenance contract.

In addition to supplying fiber-optic cable, Sterlite will design, plan, and deploy the network, with a completion deadline “by 2016.”

"Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) is one of India's most sensitive areas in all aspects of national interest. We take pride in establishing the critical infrastructure in both telecommunication and power transmission. We have recently been awarded a project to establish a power transmission infrastructure in J&K under NRSS 29. We are happy that our capabilities of creating end-to-end infrastructures in power and telecom are being put to use in India's critical corridors" says Pravin Agarwal, director, Sterlite Technologies.

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