Sterlite Power, one of India’s largest private sector players in the power transmission space, has announced a first large contract for its emerging convergence business vertical as the company aims to leverage higher demand for better and faster data connectivity with programmes like Digital India and Smart India picking up pace in the country.

Sterlite Power has announced its convergence business which manages the Kalwa to Padgha fibrenetwork in Maharashtra — developed by the Maharashtra Transmission Communication Infrastructure Ltd (MTCIL), a joint venture between Sterlite Technologies and the Maharashtra State Energy Transmission Company Ltd (MSETCL) — has signed an agreement with a public sector entity to use this fibre network for 15 years.

Sterlite Power was demerged from Sterlite Technologies, a global data network solutions major, in 2015.

The Kalwa to Padgha network is one of the busiest networks in Maharashtra and plays a critical role in providing 100 per cent uptime for the public sector entity, Sterlite Power said in a statement.

The company will provide dark fibre on Optical Ground Wire (OPGW) on 400 KV EHV transmission lines.

Convergence services allow telecom companies and other communication service providers utilisepower utility infrastructure like Optical Ground Wire (OPGW), transmission and distribution towers and substations.

Huge potential

“Sterlite Power’s convergence business is a leading provider of connectivity solutions for power and telecom companies in India. The business aims to create a reliable data network by leveraging existing utility fibre infrastructure, either its own or through its partners’ assets,” Pratik Agarwal, Group CEO, Sterlite Power, said.

This is the first large order of this kind for Sterlite Power’s convergence business, according to the company’s spokesperson, although Sterlite Power has been working on multiple pilots for providing dark fibre solutions utilising its OPGW network.

The convergence business partners with national and state utilities for either a greenfield deployment of their OPGW network or a brownfield lease out of existing OPGW network. These OPGW fibre optic cables provide insulation to the towers and carry telecommunication data. With demand for better connectivity from government, industries and consumers growing, this could emerge as one of the largest revenue streams for Sterlite Power.

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