Q1: What is the National Optical Fibre Network?

Ans: Government of India has approved on 25-10-2011 the setting up of National Optical Fiber Network (NOFN) to provide connectivity to all the 2,50,000 Gram Panchayats(GPs) in the country. This would ensure broadband connectivity with adequate bandwidth. This is to be achieved utilizing the existing optical fiber and extending it to the Gram Panchayats. Q2: What is BBNL? Ans: Bharat Broadband Network Limited (BBNL), is a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), set up by the Government of India for the Establishment, Management and Operation of NOFN. BBNL has been incorporated as a Public Sector Undertaking(PSU)/ Company under Companies Act(1956). BBNL was incorporated on 25/02/2012. Q3: What benefit will I get from NOFN? Ans: NOFN has the potential to transform many aspects of our lives including video, data, internet, telephone services in areas such as education, business, entertainment, environment, health households and e-governance services. These services will be offered by TSPs/ISPs. Q4: What are the various services that can be facilitated by BBNL? Ans: Services like G2C, B2B, P2P, B2C etc. covering E-education, Remote Health Monitoring, Egovernance, Weather, Agriculture etc. can be accessed by common man through NOFN. These services will be offered by TSPs/ISPs. BBNL willl provide access to all categories of Service Providers Q5: What is the Government policy for driving National Broadband? Ans:The National Telecom Policy (NTP) 2012 states the following:

Affordable and reliable broadband on demand by 2015. Target of 175 Million Connection by 2017. Target of 600 Million Connection by 2020 at minimum 2 mbps speed and higher speed upto 100 mbps on demand. Recognise Telecom and BB connectivity as a basic necessity like education and health and work towards, " Right to Broadband". Synergy between existing on-going and future Government programs viz e-Gov, ePanchayat, MGNREGA, NKN, Aakash, etc. and Broadband roll-out and sharing of infrastructure

Q6: Why is broadband important?

Ans: Broadband is a tool for improving the life of people by providing affordable and equitable access to information and knowledge. For individuals, broadband has direct impact on their day to day life style and behavior. For states, it enormously contributes towards trade and generation of employment

Q7: What are various applications for panchayats? Ans: Panchayat Management - Gram sabha meetings, village records, updating of citizen databases effective performance monitoring of Panchayats

Community Participation - Intra-village, Intra-district sharing of practices and resources Communication with Block, and District. Knowledge Dissemination - Sharing of Agricultural practices, productivity techniques Small enterprises, Vocational learning. Delivery of Citizen Services - Delivery of services including Health, Education and Finance, etc. Single point of Government to citizen interaction for Centrally sponsored/Central sector/ State sponsored schemes Grievance redressal. Developmental planning - Road,

transportation

and

power

connectivity

knowledge

connectivity in the form of good educational & training institutions Provision of drinking water and upgradation of existing health facilities Market connectivity to enable farmers to get the best prices for their produce.

Q8: How many panchayats are to be covered by NOFN?

Ans: National Optical Fiber Network (NOFN) to provide connectivity to 2,50,000 Gram Panchayats.

Q9: What are the different technologies being used?

Ans: GPON (Gigabit Passive Optical Network) technology will be used for NOFN Project. GPON is an open standard technology.

Q10: What is GPON technology?

Ans: GPON is known as Gigabit Passive Optical Network technology. A Passive Optical Network (PON) is a network architecture that brings fiber cabling and signals to the home using a point-to-multipoint scheme that enables a single optical fiber to serve multiple premises. Encryption maintains data security in this shared environment. The architecture uses passive (unpowered) optical splitters, reducing the cost of equipment compared to point-to-point architectures.

The GPON (Gigabit Passive Optical Network) standard differs from other PON standards in that it achieves higher bandwidth and higher efficiency using larger, variable-length packets. GPON offers efficient packaging of user traffic, with frame segmentation allowing higher quality of service (QoS) for delay-sensitive voice and video communications traffic.

Q11: What is OLT in GPON Technology?

Ans: OLT is known as Optical Line Termintion which is the Centre office terminal used in GPON technology.

Q14: Which PSUs are likely to execute the project?

Ans: BSNL, RailTel and PGCIL have been assigned the execution work by BBNL. Q15: Which Institutions Agencies are associated with NOFN Project implementation?

Ans: BSNL, RailTel, PGCIL, C-DOT, TCIL and NIC are working with BBNL on the NOFN Project. The funding of the project is from USOF.