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Srinagar Smart City to launch first 175-km long optical fibre cables
The project may be one of the densest government networks in the country, which is not dependent on any other private service provider for data transfer, adding a layer of security, officials said
The Srinagar Smart City Limited (SSCL) will launch a 175-kilometre-long optical fibre cable (OFC) network by the end of June, which will overcome the digital connectivity issues in the city and ensure smooth functioning of the Integrated Control and Command Centre (ICCC), said officials aware of the matter.
With 960 million OFCS, the Srinagar Data Network of SDNet will be controlled from the ICCC—which is the brain for all Smart City IT-related interventions, said the officials.
“We often hear about a network shutdown due to maintenance work or other issues. But this is a robust network with multiple loops that will never stop data transfer. For storage, we have created our own data centres that will account for any amount of data for the next around 20 years. To further fortify the system, we are in talks with Jammu so that we can keep each other’s backup,” said Athar Aamir Khan, commissioner, Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC).
The project may be one of the densest government networks in the country, which is not dependent on any other private service provider for data transfer, adding a layer of security, said the officials, adding that the system will provide high-speed intranet services in the city.
Officials said the OFC network is glitch-proof with multiple layersfor redundancy. This will ensure that the network never breaks down, even in cases where there is a mandated shutdown or jam in network due to security threats, said the officials.
The OFC network has been laid underground for which two ducts were constructed throughout the city, said the officials, adding that the network spans across all 66 major traffic junctions, critical public infrastructure and government offices.
The new system is expected to take care of the city’s data needs for the next two decades using the OFCs installed in the first duct. A spare duct is also in place where the OFCs can be added to accommodate future demand, without needing to dig up the roads all over again, said the officials.
“Under smart cities mission, every city chose to work on areas that it needed more emphasis on. Almost all of the 100 smart cities have set up an ICCC, but due to the unique situation of Srinagar, the SDNet is a critical aspect of the ICCC implementation and is probably going to be one of the most impactful projects,” said Rajeev Jain, additional director general, media, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
“The project is about 90% complete and is at its final stages. Unlike our other Smart City projects where transformation in the cityscape can be seen on ground, this is not visible. However, the SDNet is the key to managing every other project and has already been scaled for the entire city. It has the immense potential to integrate all data of the city from every department under one secure control centre,” said Anuj Malhotra, general manager, planning and urban development, SSCL.
