ABSTRACT

Information Technology – Communication Infrastructure - Use of Public Right of Way for laying optic fibre cables - Policy guidelines for grant of permission to take up Maintenance and Last mile connectivity work -Orders - Issued.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (B) DEPARTMENT

G.O.Ms.No. 29                                                                                 Dated: 4.11.2003
                                                                                                       Read :

1. G.O.Ms.No.10, Information Technology Department, dated 4.5.2000

2. Letter No.23, Information Technology Department, dated 8.9.2000

3. G.O.Ms. No. 28, Information Technology Department, dated 3.11.2000

4. G.O.Ms.No.29, Information Technology Department, dated 10.11.2000

5. G.O.Ms.No.7, Information Technology Department, dated 12.02.2001

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ORDER:

In the Government Order first read above, guidelines specifying the terms and conditions for the grant of centralised permission for the use of Public Right of Way by any private or public sector applicant who proposes to lay Optic Fibre Cable (OFC) along the National and State Highways and other roads in the State of Tamil Nadu, were issued.

2. In the Government orders second and third read above, certain amendments were issued to the said guidelines and a set of consolidated general guidelines were later issued in the Government Order fourth read above, incorporating these amendments.

3. The Private Communication Providers (PCPs) have informed the Government that they have completed most of their OFC laying on the Highways stretches and inside the city roads. However due to the continuous trenching activity taken up by Private Operators as well as Public Service Agencies there have been several instances of OFC having been cut and manholes having been disturbed. Due to such OFC cut, the reliability of the Communication Infrastructure is being severely affected. The PCPs have informed the Government that unless the restoration of these OFC cuts and manhole installation are done immediately, the bandwidth connectivity provided to the Software companies and Organisations taking up IT-enabled services would be much affected. The PCPs have also informed of the importance on providing last mile connectivity to the customers without any delay.

The Government has been giving permission to use the public right of way for laying OFC only to create the necessary bandwidth connectivity throughout the State and thereby facilitate Tamil Nadu to emerge as the most preferred destination for IT-companies due to its excellent Communication Infrastructure. Through G.O.Ms.No.15, Information Technology Department, dated 22.05.03, the Information Technology Policy of Tamil Nadu 2002 has also been issued highlighting the importance of communication and connectivity. It will be very important to ensure the reliability of such OFC and other communication cables network created by the PCPs.

The Government, after careful examination have decided to issue necessary guidelines for enabling the PCPs to take up Maintenance and Last mile connectivity work of their Communication Infrastructure.

Accordingly the Government has decided on the procedure to be followed by all the PCPs as well as the Public Service Agencies and also the Government organisations involved in the issue of permissions for trenching work. These guidelines specifying the terms and conditions for taking up the Maintenance and Last mile connectivity work of their Communication Infrastructure are annexed.

These consolidated guidelines on maintenance work are also applicable to all PCPs who have been accorded centralised permission so far.

This order issues with the concurrence of Highways & Municipal Administration and Water Supply departments vide their U.O.No.11504/HN2/2003-1 dated 8.8.2003 and U.O.No.25257A/MA-IV/2003-1 dated 18.8.2003 and respectively.

(BY ORDER OF THE GOVERNOR)

VIVEK HARINARAIN

SECRETARY TO GOVERNMENT

To

All District Collectors.

The Commissioner of Police, Chennai-8

The Commissioners, Corporation of Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai,

Salem, Trichi and Tirunelveli.

The Commissioner of Municipal Administration, Chennai-5

The Director of Rural Development, Chennai-15.

Chief Engineer (General), Highways, Chennai-5.

The Secretary to Government, Highways Department, Chennai-9

The Secretary to Government, MAWS Department, Chennai-9

Copy to: Senior P.A to Minister (Law, IT&E).

Public (Tel-I) Department, Chennai- 9.

The Chief General Manager, BSNL,

Tamil Nadu Telecom Circle, 80, Anna Salai, Chennai- 2.

Sf/Scs

/Forwarded / By order/

Section Officer

POLICY GUIDELINES FOR GRANT OF PERMISSION TO PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SECTOR ORGANISATIONS TO TAKE UP MAINTENANCE AND LAST MILE CONNECTIVITY WORK

All the PCPs will make available to the respective District Collectors as well as District Officials of the Highways, Corporations, Municipalities and Police, the list of routes and the ad-visioning map showing the cable network wherein they have laid their OFC. This list shall mention the name of city roads, milestones of the Highways stretches, Highways Numbers and the actual distance of OFC in each road. They should give the maintenance schedule well in advance and they shall stick to it normally.

2. The PCPs will give the names and contact numbers of 2 executives at each District who can be informed of permission that is being given to Private Operators or Public Service Agencies for trenching on the same route wherein they have already laid OFC.

3. The District Collector shall convene a meeting immediately upon receiving such information from the PCPs and issue instructions to the District officials to exchange information that will be necessary to protect the reliability of Communication Infrastructure in their respective Districts.

4. The Government organisations giving permission for trenching on Highways stretches as well as city roads should check with the information already made available to them by the PCPs and inform to the concerned PCP about the fresh permission being given to trench on their OFC routes.

5. Whenever Government organisations permit private operators or Government Service Agencies to take up trenching work, a condition is to be enforced to dig the roads carefully without damaging the OFC, which is already in this route.

6. The Private Operator or Public Service Agencies taking up fresh trenching will contact either of the 2 executives of the PCPs in whose OFC route the fresh trenching work is to be taken up, and inform him of the work schedule.

7. It will be the responsibility of the representative of the PCP to be present at the work site and ensure damage is not caused.

8. In spite of such precautions, it is possible that the existing OFC may be cut and manholes be damaged. This will result in the need to take up Repair and Maintenance work by the PCP. The repair work includes opening of manholes and trenches, pulling out the damaged ducts and cables, blowing of new cables, splicing and jointing of cables. In case of the specific location of damage not known, the PCP may be permitted to make Test-pits.

9. The scope of repair/Maintenance/Last mile connectivity works require making one or more pits (depending upon the extent of damage) of size 1.5m x 1m for splicing/jointing the faulty cables with maximum trenching of 100m depending on the nature of fault.

10. A written application for issue of permission to take up such repair and maintenance work will be submitted to the Government organisations in advance.

11. In order to ensure that delay is avoided all Government organisations will process the applications on a priority basis and clear the request within 24 hours. Subject to permission the PCPs can take up maintenance work round the clock after informing the local Engineer of Highways or Corporations / Municipalities and the local Police officer. Such permission will be applicable for repair and maintenance work being taken up on the city roads and Highways stretches, new or old roads, which have already been intimated, to the District Collector.

12. The PCPs should complete the restoration of such repair and maintenance work immediately and as per the technical specifications of Corporation and Highways. The restoration of road surface shall be completed within a fortnights time as the outer limit. If there is a failure on the part of the PCP a penalty of twice the cost of the restoration charges shall be levied. The completion of restoration work should also be informed to the official to whom prior intimation had been given on the work. Adequate safety precautions will be taken by the PCPs while carrying out such repair and maintenance works as already stipulated in the Consolidated Guidelines issued vide G.O.Ms.No.10 of IT Department dated 4/5/2000 regarding Public Right Of Way for laying Optic Fibre Cables.

VIVEK HARINARAIN

SECRETARY TO GOVERNMENT

/True Copy/

Section Officer