According to sources, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) are close to finalising a $2 billion (Rs 16,000 crore) deal to deploy the state-run telco’s 4G network.
According to the two businesses, disagreements over price and other business issues have been resolved, allowing the Tata group-led consortium to become India’s first domestic provider of telecom network solutions in a market driven by multinational corporations.
According to one of those listed above, it was stated that there was a lot of procedural delay on price, but it is now expected to be finalised within a few days, adding that the Center is eager to see a close since it has been waiting for some time. The public-private partnership plans to deploy BSNL’s 4G services across 100,000 towers or sites.
It is anticipated that Tejas Networks, a division of Tata Sons, the parent company of TCS, will produce the network equipment for BSNL domestically.
Loss-making Since 2019, BSNL has been preparing to deploy 4G services, but in 2020, it was compelled to cancel a tender because of onerous requirements for local firms. It was then instructed to solely use equipment from indigenous manufacturers.
The introduction of 4G services, according to the government, will be crucial to the ailing telco’s attempts to enhance its ability to compete with private sector rivals like Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel and to restart operations.
The most recent agreement follows the carrier’s Rs 1.64 lakh bailout package, which included a spectrum award, the introduction of 4G, and cash for operational and capital expenses, among other things.
In a Rs 200 crore proof of concept, BSNL has partnered with TCS, Tejas, and C-DoT to test domestic 4G technology. Testing for the 5G stack is currently ongoing; it should be finished by the end of this year.
Under a previously awarded Rs 550 crore contract, BSNL is currently putting up 6,000 4G stations using the 4G stack of C-DoT-TCS.