BSNL employees, as per several media reports, have criticised the government for forcing the company to purchase telecom equipment from India-based manufacturers
BSNL has notified that it will be testing the quality of telecom equipment manufactured by Indian companies before letting them participate in the upcoming 4G tender. The state-run telecom firm had floated a 4G tender back in march 2020. The same was cancelled on account of multiple reasons including allegations by India manufacturers that BSNL was incined towards foreign firms.
“Only the bidders, who get themselves registered through this EoI, shall be eligible to participate in the upcoming 4G tender of BSNL…if any Indian registered company meets all the eligibility conditions including technical proven-ness of the equipment, then such companies shall also register for the upcoming tender as per the provisions of this EoI,” read the notice by BSNL said.
BSNL employees, as per several media reports, have criticised the government for forcing the company to purchase telecom equipment from India-based manufacturers. The employees have called equipment manufactured by these as sub-standard.
Equipment for 57,000 sites for 4G services
The telecom firm is now planning to float tender for procuring equipment for 57,000 sites for 4G services. The exact details of the same are yet to be confirmed by the company. A registration fee of Rs 5.9 lakh is applicable for the EoI.
Indian companies, as per the notice, should have their own intellectual property right of the core equipment. The rights to modify source code of the equipment should also be there. Domestic telecom companies, with financial turnover of Rs 2,500 crore in the last three financial years or calendar year, are eligible to participate in the EoI.
The EoI conditions also mandate Indian companies to have experience of commissioning at 45,600 mobile sites for 4G service in any one single network or 28,500 sites for 4G in at least two different networks each or 22,800 sites for 4G in at least three different networks each.
