NEW DELHI: Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)-backed consortium received a breather from the Ministry of Telecommunications on Thursday (Point) to refine technical parameters in the fourth-generation or 4G-led proof-of-concept (PoC) network for the state-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) by the end of July.
“We have examined and discussed the pending technical parameters and decided to give the TCS-led consortium time until July 31, 2022 to finalize it,” a senior official told ETTelecom.
In a meeting chaired by Additional Secretary (Telecom) VL Kantha Rao, both BSNL and TCS agreed to closely coordinate to finalize the 4G network‘s technical capabilities to further deploy the network for the ambitious commercial rollout of telco.
The consortium was previously expected to complete network tests by June 30, 2022.
After the technical investigation, BSNL was unable to provide NB-IoT service before, which was one of the areas that could potentially impact customers, the official said, adding that in the area of key performance indicators (KPI) more alignment is required to meet the parameters set by DoT and telecom regulator.
The state-run telco aims to achieve throughput according to the global benchmark through the third generation partnership project or 3GPP.
Of the few ongoing tests involving core and radio network operation and performance, most have now been completed with satisfactory results, according to a source familiar with the matter.
The state-controlled telecom company is expected to commercially launch its next-generation network on August 15, 2022.
BSNL chairman Pravin Kumar Purwar previously said that on a shorter scale the telco’s 4G launch is expected in August this year, while on a larger scale it is likely to be by the end of this fiscal year, adding that the commercial talks with TCS would soon be concluded.
The public sector telco expects its revenues to grow nearly 20% after full-fledged next-generation services in FY 2023-24.
The Tata Group-backed consortium with the state-run Center for Development of Telematics (C-DoT) was shortlisted to conduct proof of concept (PoC) in Ambala and Chandigarh following the inability of rival consortia led by L&T, HFCL and Tech Mahindra.
BSNL is partnering with TCS to conduct PoC in Ambala and Chandigarh for its ambitious 4G foray to extensively test radio and core network equipment in line with subscriber behavior and expectations.
On March 31, BSNL issued a purchase order for the purchase of network equipment for as many as 6,000 locations, and last week TCS was again asked to supply equipment for a similar number of locations.
Last year, BSNL had published a detailed announcement inviting e-tender to plan, test, deploy and annually maintain its 4G commercial network in four operational zones besides Delhi and Mumbai circles for 57,000 locations on a turnkey basis, and sought Indian companies and consortia to first deploy proof of concept (PoC) to test their technology capabilities.