Revamp of Delhi Secretariat’s LAN, Wi-Fi infra gets technical nod

The technical evaluation committee of the Delhi government has green-signalled revamping of network infrastructure at the Secretariat building to ensure high-speed, seamless connectivity for all departments and efficient use of cloud-based tools and digital platforms.

The existing local area network (LAN) — a network within a small area connected by Ethernet cables or Wi-Fi — at the Delhi Secretariat is over a decade old, which needs overhauling owing to its patchy performance. It also requires updates according to the new technology and improvements in internet connectivity, officials said on Friday.

A proposal of the Information Technology (IT) department for revamping the digital ecosystem of the Secretariat building, from where the Delhi government functions, was given in-principal approval in a recent meeting of its technical evaluation committee.

The Public Works Department (PWD), which will carry out the revamp work, has submitted a Bill of Materials detailing components, sub-assemblies and quantities required for the project, officials said

The heat map report of the building was also submitted by the PWD for 4,000 users and 250 Wi-Fi access points required for the revamping of the digital ecosystem, they said.

A Wi-Fi LAN heatmap is a visual representation of wireless signal strength, coverage, and performance overlaid on a floor plan of a building. It indicates signal strength through a colour-coding system, crucial for identifying dead zones, optimising access point placement and troubleshooting.

The Delhi Secretariat is a nine-storey building near ITO where offices of the chief minister, cabinet ministers, the chief secretary, and senior officers of the government are located.

National Informatics Centre (NIC), Delhi unit, has suggested a detailed presentation of the revamp work. After the presentation before the NIC and IT department, the Bill will be finalised, they said.

The IT department has undertaken the project for complete modernisation of the LAN and Wi-Fi infrastructure at the Delhi Secretariat to meet current digital demands, which have grown over a decade, said an officer.

The upgraded LAN, Wi-Fi system will provide a robust, high-speed, and secure communication network to support e-governance applications and internal collaboration. The upgraded infrastructure will ensure seamless connectivity for all departments, enabling efficient use of cloud-based tools and digital platforms, he said.

The upgrade will support high-bandwidth activities like video conferencing, improve connectivity, thereby directly enhancing productivity and inter-departmental coordination, he added.