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NEW DELHI: State-run Telecommunications Consultants India Limited (TCIL) is looking to go solo and bid competitively for the upcoming mega BharatNet III initiative, a top official said.
“TCIL will be bidding the upcoming BharatNet project, and we will bid in a majority of packages,” Sanjeev Kumar, Chairman, TCIL told ETTelecom, adding that the public sector company would bid for 6-7 packages, as per the eligibility criteria.
The tender has been divided into 16 packages, and the last date to submit bids has now been extended to August 5, 2024.
Early this year, the Centre rolled out the Rs 65,000-crore BharatNet III program in which participating companies have been mandated to meet an average revenue criteria, which was eventually relaxed in May, following concerns from the domestic industry.
However, the state-led company, according to him, would also likely to embrace partners in order to strengthen its portfolio. Company’s three-year average revenue stands at about Rs 2,000-crore.
The tender is a part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s ambitious Rs 1.39 lakh crore BharatNet program which aims to provide last-mile connectivity, and upgrade existing 164,000 gram panchayats, as well as, connect 47,000 gram panchayats under the new model.
The BharatNet phase-3 project has a three-tier structure – internet leased line bandwidth which will be provided by BSNL at 7,269 blocks; middle-mile connectivity where private players will operate and maintain the project for 10 years, and the last-mile connectivity through the Udyami model.
In 2017, the Cabinet had approved Rs 42,068 crore for BharatNet’s Phase-1 and Phase-2 projects.
Subsequently, in 2021, the Cabinet allocated a viability gap funding (VGF) of Rs 19,041 crore to implement the project under the public-private partnership (PPP) model, which did not attract private companies.
Kumar also said that once fourth generation (4G) service rollout from Tejas becomes successful in Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) network, TCIL would be able to promote the use of a commercially deployed network to overseas markets.
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