KPTCL Eyes ₹130 Crore Revenue from Surplus Dark Fibre Leasing

The Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited (KPTCL) is set to commercialise its surplus dark fibre infrastructure to generate additional revenue while strengthening the state’s digital connectivity ecosystem, officials said on Saturday.

The initiative involves leasing unused optical fibre capacity on KPTCL’s 6,119-km optical ground wire (OPGW) network to licensed telecom operators, data network companies and other authorised service providers.

Dark fibre refers to optical fibre that has been installed but is currently unused and does not carry data. Under the plan, KPTCL will retain 12 of the 24 optical fibre pairs available across its network for captive grid communication requirements, while the remaining 12 pairs will be commercially leased.

Following a competitive bidding process, the initiative is expected to generate around ₹130 crore in fixed revenue for KPTCL over the 15-year contract period. In addition to the fixed annual fee, the corporation will receive 40 per cent of the revenue generated through dark fibre leasing, along with co-location charges when its substation infrastructure is used.

The selected agency will be responsible for marketing and leasing the fibre capacity, onboarding customers, operating and maintaining the OPGW network, billing, collecting revenue and ensuring service quality throughout the contract period.

KPTCL said the arrangement would enable it to optimize existing public infrastructure and establish a sustainable long-term revenue stream without compromising its core power transmission requirements.

Karnataka Energy and Tourism Minister K J George said the initiative reflects KPTCL’s expanding role in supporting the state’s digital infrastructure. He said commercialising surplus dark fibre would help unlock the value of existing public assets while accelerating high-speed digital connectivity and the growth of Karnataka’s digital economy.