Energy Grid Company of India Ltd is within the technique of carving out its telecom vertical to a brand new fully-owned subsidiary, Powergrid Teleservices Ltd, in a bid to have a “centered strategy” and to maneuver up the worth chain, senior firm officers mentioned.
The transfer by the state-run energy transmission main comes shut on the heels when the telecom sector is ramping up its 5G service throughout the nation to carry enterprise transformation that may contribute two per cent to the nationwide GDP.
The state-owned energy transmission main has additionally bought approval from the Central Electrical energy Regulatory Fee (CERC) to function information centres.
“The telecom division of Powergrid shall be transferred to the brand new subsidiary Powergrid Teleservices after receiving all regulatory approvals to offer higher impetus to the enterprise and transfer up the worth chain by getting into into the information centre enterprise. The method for regulatory clearance is in progress,” Powergrid government director (telecom) B Vamsi Rama Mohan advised PTI on the sidelines of ABP Group-organised INFOCOM 2022.
He additionally mentioned that pilots to show cell BTS and FM Radio transmission on excessive voltage energy transmission towers “have proven promising outcomes”.
“With the deal with high-speed information networks throughout the nation, the telecom enterprise holds immense potential going ahead,” he mentioned.
Telecom corporations have introduced plans to have a nationwide 5G footprint within the subsequent two years and Powergrid is “properly positioned” to assist telcos (telecom corporations) to deploy their 4G or 5G base stations on the excessive voltage energy transmission towers as PGCIL has “one of many largest optical fibre floor community within the nation offering communication providers”.
“Now we have one of many largest optic fibre networks of 76,000 km. Pilots to show 4G/5G BTS on high-voltage towers have proven promising outcomes and are operating easily. This offers us confidence that now Powergrid can leverage its two lakh sturdy tower community throughout the size and breadth of the nation and assist telecom corporations to offer voice and information providers to each village of the nation,” PGCIL CGM (telecom) D Yadav mentioned.
Powergrid will supply a “one-stop resolution for the telecom operators with extremely dependable energy provide, tower to host antenna and base tools, backhauling from fibre on the transmission line and unmatched attain” even in distant areas utilizing the widespread transmission tower infrastructure of the corporate, the officers mentioned.
Talking in regards to the information centre, Mohan mentioned, “The CERC has accorded approval to Powergrid to ascertain and function information centres underneath PowerTel utilizing surplus lands of the sub-stations.
“The primary information centre as a pilot is anticipated to come back up close to Delhi with a capability of 250 racks and it is going to be ramped as much as 1000 racks. Detailed enterprise fashions on information centres are being labored out.”
The dimensions of the telecom enterprise is comparatively small within the total Powergrid income however the “enterprise setting may be very conducive to leapfrog,” Mohan mentioned.
Talking about Nationwide Lengthy-Distance Operation, Mohan mentioned, “Having the interconnect agreements with the neighbouring nations like Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan, we’re leveraging it to ship optic fibre to those nations.”
Powergrid owns a big energy transmission community of 1.76 lakh km to assist provide vitality throughout the nation.
