New Delhi: State-run telecom services provider BSNL is preparing to issue a ₹24,500 crore purchase order for equipment for 100,000 4G sites after an empowered group of ministers approved the carrier’s request to set up a 4G network.
Two senior government officials aware of the development said the network will be deployed by a consortium headed by Tata Consultancy Services, government owned C-DoT and Tata Group-owned Tejas Networks. BSNL is aiming to provide 4G services across India within 18 months, they added.
“The GoM has approved the proof of concept and BSNL will give the purchase order in a couple of days. TCS-led consortium has to accept the order, issue performance bank guarantees and provide the equipment for deploying 4G,” one of the officials said, asking not to be named. “BSNL has already started 4G pilots in Punjab, and they plan to take 4G pan-India over the next 18 months. We believe that they should be able to ramp up faster and complete the installations within a year,” the second official said. He added that the state-run carrier has already placed orders for 12,000 sites for early deployment.
BSNL did not respond to queries from Mint, while BSNL chairman P.K. Purwar did not respond to calls and messages seeking confirmation and response.
