The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is set to develop around 10,000 km of Optic Fibre Cables (OFC) infrastructure across the country by FY2024-25. The NHAI-owned special purpose vehicle, National Highways Logistics Management (NHLM), will execute the project by developing integrated utility corridors along the national highways to establish OFC infrastructure.
As part of this plan, 1,367 km on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway and 512 km on the Hyderabad-Bengaluru corridor have been identified as pilot routes for digital highway development. The OFC network will provide internet connectivity to remote locations across the country and facilitate the rollout of advanced telecom technologies like 5G and 6G.
The laying of OFC along the national highways has already begun and is targeted for completion within a year. This network will enable a direct plug-and-play or ‘fibre-on-demand’ model for telecom/internet services.
This move by NHAI is expected to boost digital infrastructure development in India and improve internet connectivity in rural areas. It will also create opportunities for telecom companies to provide high-speed internet services to underserved communities.
