BSNL’s initiative to exclude foreign vendors in 4G rollout will make the sector self-reliant, says government

The government is of the view that locally-designed and manufactured equipment, starting with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited’s (BSNL) 4G network, will make the country’s telecom sector self-reliant.

According to the government, BSNL’s initiative to allow local equipment companies bid for its 4G equipment after quality tests of their products will pave the way for players such as Tejas Networks Limited STL, reducing India’s dependency on global firms. With this, India’s telecom equipment market, which is largely dominated by global players such as Ericsson, Nokia, Samsung, Huawei, and ZTE, will soon see many domestic manufacturers entering it.

Further, it added that, BSNL/ Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) 4G procurement is a great opportunity for Indian multinationals to manufacture and supply world class telecom network equipment. The focus will be on commencement of 4G services by BSNL and MTNL in a time-bound manner using trusted and secure equipment.