What are the challenges of fiberisation ahead of India’s 5G deployment? (UPSC Current Affair)

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Why in the news?

Recently, About 72 GHz of airwaves will be put up for auction in India in order to launch 5G services. However, existing radio towers must be connected via optical-fiber cables in order to provide the infrastructure necessary for such a rollout. This has brought fiberisation to the focus.

What is fiberisation?

• Fiberisation is the process of interconnecting radio towers with optical fiber cables.
• Once 5G services are launched, they will aid in maximizing network capacity and carrying large volumes of data.
• Additionally, it will help in supplying more bandwidth and better backhaul support. Data is transported across the network by the backhaul, which is a part of the broader transport. It stands for the portion of the network that links the network's core to its edge.
• As a result, fiber backhaul continues to be a crucial component of transportation for all telecommunications.

What is optical fiber?

• A flexible, transparent fiber known as an optical fiber is created by pulling glass or plastic to a diameter just a hair's width thicker.
• The most common function of optical fibers is to transfer light between their two ends.
• They are widely used in fiber-optic communications, which allows for transmission across greater distances and at higher bandwidths than with electrical connections.
• The backbone of the digital infrastructure is optical fiber, which transmits data by sending light pulses through lengthy, thin fiber strands.
• The Total Internal Reflection (TIR) concept governs how the optical fiber functions .
• Large amounts of data may be transmitted via light rays (In case of long straight wire without any bend).

What is the significance of fiberisation?

• It will contribute to the efficient use of the existing network resources, the transportation of huge volumes of data, and the provision of additional bandwidth in the working of the 5G service.

What is the status of fiberisation at present?

• Only 33% of the towers in India at this time are fiberized. When compared to the 65 to 70 percent in South Korea and the 80 to 90 percent in the United States, Japan, and China, it is quite low.
• For transition into 5G, India needs at least 16 times more optical fiber, according to estimates.
• India has a meager 0.09 fiber kms (fkm) per person, compared to 1.35 in Japan, 1.34 in the United States, and 1.3 in China. A nation should have 1.3 km of fiber per person in order to achieve optimal fiberization.
• The fiber point of presence refers to the tower locations that are connected by fiber (POP). India's fiber POP can currently process data at speeds of one to five Gbps only which is inadequate for 5G services.

What are the issues with fiberization in India?

• First, to assist fiberize 70% of towers, India needs to invest roughly 2.2 lakh crore. In the following four years, an additional 2.5 lakh crore will be required to build 15 lakh towers for 5G.
• Second, the current average cable laying speed of 350 km per day must be increased by almost 3.6 times in order to connect every town in the nation with optical fiber cable (OFC) in 1,000 days.
• Third, the 2016 Indian Telegraph RoW Rules seek to include a minimal one-time payment and a standardized process for the construction of Overground Telegraph Lines (OTL) throughout the nation.
  • While all States and UTs must apply these regulations the central regulations are not entirely being implemented in all of the states.
  • Additionally, many local governments and districts adhere to their own bylaws.
  • Additionally, numerous major Ministries, like the Ministries of the Environment and Forests, the Railways, and the Defense, follow their own departmental regulations.

What are the other government initiatives for fiberisation?

• The DoT updated the RoW regulations in October 2021, simplifying the installation of aerial optical fiber cable across the nation. This could make it possible for infrastructure providers to install cables using light poles and traffic light posts.
• With the use of the DoT's GatiShakti Sanchar web platform, RoW clearances for telecom infrastructure projects, including 5G, may be centralized.

Some Important FAQ

MCQ

Question: With reference to Fiberization, consider the following statements:

1. Fiberisation is the process of supplementing radio towers with optical fiber cables.
2. Once 5G services are launched, fiberisation aids in maximizing network capacity and carries large volumes of data.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Question: consider the following statements regarding;

1. A flexible, transparent fiber known as an optical fiber is created by pulling glass or plastic to a diameter just a hair's width thicker.
2. The Total Internal Refraction concept governs how the optical fiber functions.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2