BPC plans big
Among others, a project to provide power, cable TV and internet on a single line
16 February, 2010 – The Bhutan power corporation (BPC) is working on a project called ‘BPL’ that aims to provide electricity, cable TV and internet all in the same line.
“What we have to do is send different frequencies on the same electric line for cable and internet, so a single wire would provide all of them,” said BPC’s manager for infocom division, Tsencho Tshering. He said that, if successful, it would be especially useful for rural homes that can get all three in one line.
This is just one of the many varied projects being taken up by BPC as part of its Nu 28.464 bn investment plans till 2014.
BPC will also be laying the fibre optic cables for ICT development to 18 dzongkhags, except for Gasa and Trashiyangtse, where microwave technology will be used. While the established players can get more space and speed, BPC will also sell fibre optic space to various companies, who can use it to transmit large amount of online information.
“BPC will also be using this fibre optic network for creating a data centre that can cater to interested corporations like BoB, BDFC, Tashi bank and other companies, who can store their data here instead of having to come up with their own data centres,” said Sunil, senior manager with BPC. While the entire country is running on 190 mbps connection, the BPC fibre optic network will introduce 1,024 mbps.
The same fibere optic system will also help with BPC’s enterprise resource planning or ERP, whereby a company like DHI or others would be able to access the accounting, finance, human resource, projects and asset management data of all its companies from one single server.
This would clear the way for making many services and information available online.
The money allocated for ICT is Nu 769 mn.
Meanwhile, the rural electrification (RE) project will see another Nu 6.9 bn investment to fulfill its mandate, electricity for all by 2013. “As of now, we’ve connected 47,755 households, but we’ll have to electrify 40,257 households by 2013, a target originally set for 2020,” said project manager Drukchu Dorjee. RE has four main components, with the JICA funded project for 15,712 households, ADB with 8,767 households, government funded 8,959 and BPC funded 6,019.
Under the BPC component 1,867 households were electrified as of today.
“For the ADB and JICA components, we’ve purchased most of the equipments required,” said Sunil. The funds for the government component are still being finalised. BPC MD Dasho Bharat Tamang said that they target 10,000 households by the end of this year.
Other projects include a Nu 15.677 bn for the construction of transmission lines for Punatsangchhu I and II and Mangdechhu. Nu 3 billion has been allocated for the various internal domestic transmission lines and substations. Nu 1.9 billion is being spent on construction and rehabilitation of small and micro hydels across the country.
Source: kuenselonline