Cross-Sector Infrastructure Sharing

Réseau Arabe des Régulateurs des

Télécoms et des Technologies de
l'information
Rabat, March 6, 2014

Rajendra Singh, Senior Regulatory Specialist

Email: rsingh6@worldbank.org
 Cross-Sector Synergy
• We are all convinced that sharing infrastructure within Telecom and across Energy,
Transport Sectors is a Win-Win Situation and sharing of infrastructure will bring
down the cost of telecom services;

• This is also applicable to Gas and water, or any other linear infrastructure;

• OPGW is laid along Electricity Transmission Lines because this is must for
Operation & Maintenance of Electricity System;

• Optical Fiber cable is laid along Railway Lines because Railway operation needs
telecom connectivity;

• Electricity Sector and Railways use could be less than 0.01 percent of total
capacity.

Should not Electricity and Railways make more money by selling

the surplus capacity in telecom market and contribute to growth
of Telecom and Internet connectivity?
 Road Construction and Telecom
Connectivity
• Road Construction involves lot of earth work and trenching, which
constitute 70-80 percent of Optical Fiber System Cost, so why to duplicate
this trenching work- Once for road construction and then again for Optical
Fiber Cable?

• The typical incremental cost for laying HDPE pipe at the time of
construction of road could be less than 0.02 percent of total road
construction cost. Once this pipe is laid at the time of road construction
then telecom companies can simply pull the optical fiber cable inside this
pipe and duplication of trenching is avoided. This will save lot of money
and increase road life and quality.

• In addition, no inconvenience, no damage to infrastructure by multiple

trenching.

• Telecom Connectivity Helps in implementation of Intelligent Transport

System (ITS).
 International Experience
• If it is so good, then this must be happening in
many countries – the answer is ‘YES’

• Most of the Electricity Transmission companies

and Railways are leasing out their surplus
capacities in telecom market on an open access
basis (i.e. not exclusivity contract).
– Few examples of Railways are: Georgia Railways, Bangladesh Railways, most of
European Railways, Indian Railways and many more.

– Examples of Electricity Companies are: Indonesia, Bhutan, Turkey, Vietnam, Brazil,

USA, Canada, India , and many more.
 International Experience – Road and
Telecom

• Maharashtra State, India- Policy decision Laying

the duct at the time of constructing new roads.

• Afghanistan – National policy decision and

execution through budget order issued by MoF.

• Future planned activities in Iraq and Yemen both

North – South Transport Highway Corridor
Projects.
Thank you!