BSNL 4G tender: Department of telecommunications forms committee

The department of telecommunications (DoT) has formed a committee to recommend technical specifications for the revised BSNL 4G tender. The eight-member committee, to be headed by DoT member (technology) K Ramchand, will examine and recommend modifications to the technical specifications prepared by BSNL for the tender. The panel will help BSNL in refining the technical specifications of the tender for 4G services and also recommend core domestic network components that can be deployed in BSNL network.

The DoT has already decided to rework or cancel the existing BSNL 4G tender, which was issued in March. A complaint was made by the Telecom Equipment and Services Export Promotion Council (TEPC) to the government stating that BSNL had not followed the public procurement (preference to make in India) norms for the tender. The main concern raised by TEPC was that conditions were formed in such a manner that no Indian company could participate.