Digital Infrastructure and services are becoming increasingly important in the nation’s development and growth ambitions. For India to achieve its Digital ambitions, expansion and safety of Infrastructure are crucial. Considering the same, The Department of Telecommunications (DOT), under the Ministry of Communications, formulated the Indian Telegraph infrastructure safety rules 2022 to eliminate damage to various digital infrastructure assets, such as optical fiber cable, as a result of digging and excavation activities.
Demand for Digital Infrastructure
The Central Government has therefore envisioned fulfilling the communication needs of the citizens and enterprises through the establishment of a resilient, secure, accessible, and affordable Digital Communications Infrastructure and Services.
Issues Concerning Infrastructure
To address different issues of concern in the telecom sector, the Government, TSPs, and IPs have jointly created the required pan-Indian telecom infrastructure networks. However, numerous agencies frequently engage in excavation activities, and as a result, underground utility assets get affected, either as a result of knowledge of agencies about existing utilities or a lack of coordination with utility asset owner agencies. These damages result in financial loss for owners of utility assets, as well as revenue losses and discomfort for the general public. In Telecom Sector alone, there are nearly 10 lakh OFC cuts per year, causing an economic loss of approx. Rs 3000 Crore per year. As a result, the Government created the Indian Telegraph (Infrastructure Safety) Rules, 2022, published in the Gazette of India on January 3, 2023, to address safety issues to the existing telecom infrastructure. Also Read: DoT Brings Call Before U Dig App to Avoid Telecom Infra Damage
Call Before you Dig App
The Department of Telecom has also launched a new app, ‘Call Before U Dig’. Through this App, currently available for Android users, the Government aims to connect the digging agencies with the underground utility asset owners. Communication between these parties is a crucial element of the digital India vision.
The Salient features of these rules and App are:
Advantages of Infrastructure Rules 2022
Advantages For Government
Infrastructure can be saved from unwanted cuts and wasteful costs towards restoration, thus saving thousands of crores for businesses and associated tax loss to the Government.
Advantages For Citizens
Citizens can experience improved services, as inconvenience caused by frequent breakdowns may be reduced due to better synergy between the agencies.
