BSNL Rolls Out 3G Service in Hyderabad; Calls Off GSM Tender
March 05, 2010
Following Bangalore and Thiruvananthapuram, India's state-run telecom operator BSNL (Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited) recently launched its 3G service in Hyderabad, the state capital of Andhra Pradesh, the Hindu reported on March 5. Aside from Hyderabad, BSNL's 3G services is also available in 29 other cities and towns of Andra Pradesh. BSNL has been awarded 3G and WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) spectrums across most telecom circles in India without auctioning by the Indian government other than MTNL (Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Lmited). To access the 3G service, BSNL's existing prepaid and postpaid GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) users only need to send an SMS (Short Message Service) back to the operator while new users are required to buy a new 3G SIM (Subscriber Identification Module) card priced at 59 Rupees (US$1.30; US$1 = 45.5 Rupees), according to the same source.
Meanwhile, after India's Central Vigilance Commission ordered BSNL to suspend the tender, beginning to investigate whether the tender process was in line with rules in India, BSNL recently decided to cancel the tender to purchase 93 million GSM lines worth US$10 billion from Chinese telecom equipment supplier Huawei, the Reuters reported on March 6. BSNL stated that it will launch new tenders without specifying the date.