GoM gives nod to TCS consortium for the deployment of one lakh BSNL 4G sites: Report

As per media report, the deployment of one lakh sites for the roll-out of state-run telco Bharat Sanchar Nigam's (BSNL)'s 4G network which is led by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) got a nod from the Group of Ministers (GoM), sources said. 

The board of the state-owned carrier – BSNL had recommended the deployment of 1 lakh network sites for the ambitious 4G commercial service in February.

TCS will provide 4G equipment for the sites for a total sum of Rs 24,556.37 crore. The total sum includes network gear cost of about Rs 13,000 crore, as well as third-party items and a 10-year annual maintenance contract (AMC). In November last year, TCS and state-run ITI submitted their bids to deploy BSNL's next-generation network across four zones countrywide, following the proof of concept (PoC).

ITI has a 20% reservation in network procurement, although the company proposed to use equipment supplied by the TCS-led consortium that includes core network gear from the government-owned Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DoT).

TCS had proposed to supply core equipment within a year of receiving the purchase order. On the other hand the supply of radio equipment is expected to be completed over a period of 18-24 months. Last year, the indigenous telecom stack setup for BSNL 4G network has been tested for 10 million simultaneous phone calls.