Indian telecoms vendor HFCL said on Monday it has landed a deal worth INR 11.2 billion (US$135 million) from state telco Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) to upgrade its optical transport network (OTN) across the country.
The advanced purchase order (APO) covers design, planning of architecture, engineering, supply, installation and commissioning and system integration of OTN equipment. The planned upgrade will cover over 300 large network nodes and 2,000 amplifier sites.
The deal also includes a comprehensive eight-year annual maintenance contract worth INR 1.7 billion.
According to a statement from HFCL managing director Mahendra Nahata, the resulting upgrade will boost BSNL’s data capacity to 12 Tbps, which the telco needs to meet expected demand overt the next ten years.
“Our comprehensive network upgrade will not only address the heightened demands of enterprise and FTTH/Broadband services but strategically positions BSNL for the seamless launch of 4G services and the anticipation of 5G services,” Nahata said
HFCL said it will also partner with Nokia to deploy the OTN gear over the next 18 months.
According to an ETTelecom report in November 2023, BSNL had planned to buy OTN equipment from Nokia for the upgrade project, which triggered a backlash from domestic suppliers.
