BSNL is quickly anticipated to bring out a fresh tender for 50,000 4G websites wherein the state-run firm can acquire gear from worldwide firms like Nokia, Ericsson and Samsung. The procurement of gear from the worldwide firms is element of a program to split the 4G rollout into two components – Part A comprising 57,000 websites ought to be strictly reserved for domestic vendors for the core network whilst for the remaining 50,000 websites, Part B, there ought to be an open tender with industrial terms and circumstances. The Empowered Technology Group (ETG) has also offered its approval for the identical and the business has apprised Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) also concerning the program a couple of days ago.
Earlier, the division of telecommunications (DoT) gave its approval to split the tender for the rollout of the 4G services into two components as the firm was facing delays in rolling out the network as most of the Indian firms had sought more time to full the trials. ETG in its suggestions stated that BSNL ought to procure radio and core gear for 57,000 4G websites (contains 7,000 MTNL websites) from Indian organizations which could not have prior encounter in supplying 4G telecom gear.
“BSNL can also, in parallel procure 50,000 4G RAN/associated core from trusted sources with experience of such supplies. This will facilitate the launch of 4G services by BSNL, on a reasonable scale, and a much faster time frame,” ETG stated in its suggestions, a copy of which has been noticed by TheSpuzz.
The ETG also suggested that in case, trials by the Indian organizations are productive and acceptable for the core network to meet BSNL’s industrial needs, the business ought to appropriately examine the feasibility of utilizing this core gear for the radio network procured beneath tender B.
The ETG is headed by principal scientific advisor K VijayRaghavan and members of the group involve the chairman of the Atomic power commission, chairman of Space Commission, chairman of DRDO, secretary of Ministry of Electronics and IT, telecom secretary and secretary of Department of Science and technologies. The ETG was set up to advise the government on its technologies supplier and procurement method, to encourage each state and central government, to create in-home knowledge in policy and use elements of emerging technologies and create an indigenization roadmap for chosen crucial technologies and so forth.
BSNL had written to the government that its survival depended on the early rollout of 4G services and so far, there was no confirmed Indian core obtainable. The business had stated that as per the expression of interest floated by it, firms need to have to full the trials in 4 months, but except TCS, most firms had sought for extension of the time frame to 6-8 months.
The business had stated that it anticipated a 4G rollout inside 10 months on productive completion of trials by regional firms. Assuming that PoC got completed in 4 months, the network could be rolled out following 14 months from that date. But, in case PoC was not completed inside the specified timelines then rollout timelines would also get extended.