Punj Lloyd Arm Lines Up Rs 2,000 Cr Cable Network

Spectranet, a subsidiary of leading construction engineering company Punj Lloyd, will pump in Rs 2,000 crore over the next three years to set up a nationwide fiber optic cable infrastructure, which will deliver a wide rage of services including Internet access, multimedia services and data communication networks to both households and offices.

The company will execute this project in phases in 40 cities.

Spectranet, which has already laid a 170 km fiber optic network in New Delhi, is planing to launch services in April 2000. It has already invested Rs 100 crore and expects to break even by 2003.

"We are using this network to offer broadband connectivity and network convergence through fiber optic cable, which has already been laid in Delhi," Spectranet chairman Atul Punj told Business Standard. "We are extending this network at a rate of about 700 meters a day," he added.

The company will offer highspeed Net access, managed application services, virtual private networks, data service centers and application hosting services like ERP for corporates. Other plans include tele-orientation services like telemedicine and tele-education and roaming dial-up services.

For households, Spectranet is planing to offer Net connectivity services, set-top boxes, high quality video services through the Internet and interactive services like online shopping and banking.

"This network will allow people to use the Internet for specific requirements rather than just vanilla products being offered in the market. Besides providing commercial application services for individuals and corporates, the network would look at new social applications such as tele-medicine, tele-education and e-governance," said Punj.

The company is also planing to offer local language content web sites. To develop the websites, it is planing to acquire and partner content companies.

It also plans to tie up with eight local cable operators in New Delhi to offer its Internet services through cable TV. "We are partnering with eight local cable TV operators. As per the agreement, we will help these companies upgrade the existing cable network, create new networks and help them go up the technology value chain," said Punj.