As India accelerates its digital transformation, the conversation around public infrastructure is evolving, from rapid deployment to long-term reliability. In nationwide broadband initiatives like BharatNet, the real measure of success is not how quickly networks are built, but how well they endure. This is where government-defined quality standards play a pivotal role. They ensure that every stage– from trenching depth and cable protection to testing protocols and digital documentation, is aligned with durability, performance, and scalability. In this context, Polycab India Ltd. is playing a significant role in advancing BharatNet Phase III, with active execution across Karnataka, Puducherry, Goa (Package 4), and Bihar (Package 7). In an exclusive interaction with Wire & Cable India, Mr. Ashish D Jain, Executive President & COO, (Telecom) Polycab India Ltd., talks about the creation of robust optical fibre infrastructure designed for long-term resilience.
How Quality Standards Help Future-Proof Public Digital Assets
Public digital infrastructure is no longer defined only by how quickly it is built. Its true value lies in how reliably it performs over decades. As national broadband programs expand across rural and semi-urban India, the focus is steadily shifting from asset creation to asset assurance. At the heart of this shift lies a simple principle: quality standards defined by the government future-proof public digital assets.
Future-proofing is not an abstract idea. It is the outcome of thousands of decisions taken during planning, construction, testing, and documentation. Clearly articulated government standards ensure that these decisions are consistent, verifiable, and aligned with long-term national objectives.
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Future-Proofing Begins Below Ground
Optical fibre networks are long-life public assets. Once deployed, they are expected to operate reliably for 20–25 years with minimal intervention. Government-defined construction standards recognise this reality and therefore specify trench depth, protection mechanisms, and installation practices based on soil type, terrain, and risk profile. Optical fibre cable (OFC) is deployed through underground ducts, which serve as protective conduits for long-term durability and maintenance.
In normal soil conditions, optical fibre ducts are required to be laid at a nominal depth of 1.65 metres. In rocky or hilly terrain, the minimum depth is 1.2 metres. Where standard depth cannot be achieved, predefined protection methods—such as DWC pipes, GI pipes, concrete encasing, or RCC protection—are mandated based on depth bands.
Designing for Resilience, Not Just Installation
Future-ready public networks are designed for long-term resilience, not merely project completion. Government standards clearly define acceptable limits for bend radius of ducts and cables, encasing dimensions, and protection and extension lengths at road, railway, culvert, and bridge crossings.
Performance Assurance through Measurable Testing
Government standards place strong emphasis on performance verification and acceptance testing, covering both optical and civil aspects of OFC deployment.
Key optical testing parameters include:
- Splice loss limits (<0.1 dB)
- Defined attenuation thresholds at 1310 nm and 1550 nm wavelengths
- Mandatory OTDR testing across all fibres
- End-to-end link loss calculations
In addition, civil acceptance testing (AT) ensures trenching quality, duct integrity, route restoration, and compliance with construction specifications.
Digital Documentation as a Public Asset
Government standards typically require digital platforms for built documentation, including GIS-based drawings, geo-tagged photographs and videos, and detailed route and joint records. This helps in transforming physical infrastructure into a digitally traceable public asset.
Uniform standards across materials, construction methods, inspection processes, and responsibilities enable consistency, transparency, and effective governance at national scale. Quality frameworks emphasise inspection and corrective action to minimise rework, reduce disruptions, and extend asset life, optimising public investments.
OFC as the Digital Highway for Future Technologies
Whether the transmission layer is MPLS, SDH, DWDM, IP, or emerging optical technologies, optical fibre remains the common digital highway carrying all forms of traffic.
As data-intensive applications such as AI workloads, hyperscale data centres, edge computing, and 5G/6G backhaul expand, the demand for low-latency, high-availability fibre networks will grow exponentially.
Government-defined quality standards ensure that OFC infrastructure is technology-agnostic, scalable, and capable of supporting future digital ecosystems without repeated civil intervention.
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Monetisation and Network Resilience
Well-built OFC infrastructure also enables monetisation opportunities by allowing multiple service providers and technologies to share the same network. This creates a collaborative ecosystem that improves utilisation, ensures higher network availability, and enhances overall resilience.
Projects have timelines, but public digital assets have lifespans measured in decades. Government-defined quality standards ensure that infrastructure continues to serve citizens long after the project phase is complete.
Polycab India Ltd. is currently engaged in the execution of BharatNet Phase III in Karnataka , Puducherry and Goa (Package 4) and Bihar (Package 7) .
