Ericsson, Nokia Secure Indian BSNL's GSM Equipment Deal
April 20, 2007
After Motorola dropped a court petition to challenge tender results, Ericsson, Nokia, and the state-run ITI secured GSM mobile phone line equipment orders from India's BSNL (Bharat Sanchar Nigam), the overall value of which is estimated at around US$5 billion to US$9.5 billion. Of the 63.5 million mobile phone lines, 18 million lines will be supplied by ITI, with the remaining 45.5 million lines shared between Ericsson and Nokia in a 60:40 ratio. The tender size is likely to be revised upward by 50% to 100% following the initial orders, according to the local press. The aforementioned ratio will be maintained for the allotment of additional orders.