Data centre companies seek clarity on dark fibre for captive networks
The data centre industry in India is seeking clarification on regulations to enable the use of dark fiber for captive networks, which could improve ease of doing business (EoDB) and align with the government's Digital India mission. The industry currently relies on leasing bandwidth from licensed telecom service providers at a significant cost. The lack of a dark fiber policy in India has led to expensive DWDM transmission equipment, space and power consumption, and additional maintenance costs. The industry has been advocating for clarification from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to enable flexibility for data centers to manage inter-data centre traffic and align with global best practices. Enabling dark fibre for captive purposes could also relieve pressure on India's startup ecosystem, as connectivity costs may be a burden.