Finance
By: Shree1news, 02 JAN 2021
State-run telecom firm BSNL will test the quality of Indian telecom equipment earlier than letting indigenous manufacturers take part within the 4G tender to be floated by the company, according to a notice of the company.
BSNL had floated a 4G tender worth Rs 9,300 crore for procurement of telecom equipment in March however was cancelled later due to multiple reasons, together with allegation from Indian companies that the state-run agency project doesn’t adjust to preferential market entry norms and is inclined towards foreign companies.
The company now plans to float a tender for procuring gear for 57,000 sites for 4G services but exact details will be shared in the tender document.
“To ascertain eligibility of bidders within the upcoming 4G tender of BSNL keeping in consideration the spirit of the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’…to promote indigenous manufacturing of telecom sector, BSNL invites proposal although …expression of interest for prior registration/proof of concept from Indian companies interested in participating in the BSNL’s upcoming 4G tender…” the EoI stated.
BSNL staff have criticised the government for forcing the corporate to buy telecom equipment from Indian firms and called their gear sub-standard.
“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 gear, then such companies shall additionally register for the upcoming tender as per the provisions of this EoI,” the notice stated.
The companies are required to pay registration fee of Rs 5.9 lakh for the EoI.
Indian companies ought to have their own intellectual property right of the core gear and proper to switch source code of the gear. Domestic telecom companies with financial turnover of Rs 2,500 crore in the last three financial years or calendar year can participate in the EoI.
The EoI situation mandates Indian companies or consortiums 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 not less than two different networks each or 22,800 sites for 4G in at least three different networks each.
Source: A-N
