It’s going to be a year because BSNL 1st floated its tender for 4G network, which was cancelled to give preference to domestic vendors, but the impasse connected to the finalisation of the second one continues with the organization expressing its inability to meet the situations advised by a government-appointed committee. Exasperated, the organization has communicated to the government that if it has to meet all the situations stipulated by the committee then it would take a different two years time for it to roll out the 4G network.
The difficulty locations for BSNL are that it has been asked that the core of the 4G network ought to be constructed by domestic vendors below a method integrator model and not worldwide firms like Ericsson or Nokia. Further, the IPR or licence/copyright for the supply code of the application ought to be owned by an Indian organization and it should have unrestricted, irrevocable access and licence to modify the supply code and provide application help for all future versions of the application. The supply code ought to be deposited in an escrow account and ought to be the identical as the version deployed in the field.
Expressing its inability to meet these recommendations, BSNL has now proposed a handful of selections to the government as a way forward, like floating a new tender with industrial specifications permitting open bidding and simultaneously upgrading its about 49,300 web pages, such as these which have been constructed by Chinese vendor ZTE.
Sources mentioned that apart from the division of telecommunications, the organization has also communicated these points to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) not too long ago.
The most up-to-date communication from BSNL comes as most of the Indian producers have indicated that they will need more time to create their item. Also, majority of the firms have expressed that the proof of idea (PoC) or trials cannot be completed in the stipulated timeframe of 4 months. Sources mentioned that firms like Tech Mahindra, TCS, Sterlite, Mavenir, HFCL, and so forth, have recommended a timeline ranging from 6-8 months for carrying out PoC.
BSNL expects 4G rollout inside a period of 10 months on prosperous completion of PoC. Assuming that PoC is effectively completed in 4 months, the network can be rolled out soon after 14 months from that date. But, in case PoC is not completed inside the specified timelines then rollout timelines may possibly also get extended.
Sources mentioned as a way forward, BSNL has proposed that PoC may possibly be restricted to one zone or a handful of circles for 4G network rollout. Meanwhile, it ought to be permitted to proceed with tender with PMI clauses as per DPIIT recommendations, sector specifications and a modified GFR (basic economic guidelines) clause pertaining to neighbouring nations. Another solution proposed by BSNL is to let it upgrade its 49,300 web pages, such as 36,one hundred web pages of ZTE, to 4G. It will permit the firm to roll out 4G at these web pages in six months.
Yet a different solution recommended incorporates continuation with the PoC route but upgrade 13,200 web pages of Nokia and as a fall back arrangement, and challenge a tender with industrial specifications.