NOFN to cost Rs 20,000 crore in the initial phase

GIS mapping, being implemented by NIC, of the existing OFC network of the various telecom operators, to enable calculation of the incremental length of the cable required for connecting all the 2.5 lakh panchayats

GN Bureau | December 2, 2011



Milind Deora, minister of state for communications and information technology, informed the Upper House on Friday that government has approved creation of national optical fibre network (NOFN) for providing broadband connectivity of all panchayats and the cost of initial phase of the scheme is likely to be in the region of Rs. 20,000 crore.

Deora said that the plan is to extend the existing optical fibre network initially up to panchayats by utilising the universal services obligation fund (USOF) and creating an institutional mechanism for management and operation of the NOFN for ensuring non discriminatory access to all service providers.

He further informed the members that national informatics centre ( NIC) has been assigned a project by DOT, under USOF, for carrying out the geo information system (GIS) mapping of the existing OFC network of the various telecom operators such BSNL, Rail Tel, Power Grid, etc and the work is in progress.

The mapping of the existing OFC will enable to calculate the incremental length of the cable required for connecting all the 2.5 lakh panchayats with OFC.

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