BSNL to auction spare bandwidth in its network

State-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam (BSNL) has decided to auction spare bandwidth in its network through e-tender process, a top company official said.

"BSNL has mapped availability of spare bandwidth in our network throughout the country at various levels in the network. We will auction it through e-tender which may be floated within couple of weeks," BSNL Chairman and Managing Director RK Upadhyay told reporters on sidelines of a C-DOT event.

He did not disclose the amount expected from the auction.

"The tender will have two parts, one for below 1 gigabit bandwidth and other one for above 1 gigabit. It will be point to point [between two specified locations] based tender and prices will be different for each points," Upadhyay said.

He added that the company has spare bandwidth available at backhaul infrastructure level and also level which gives access to end-customers.

Speaking at the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) conference, he said that BSNL is in the process of converting its old telephone exchanges to the next generation modern exchange with help of C-DOT and by March work at some of the exchanges may be finished.

"This will enhance capacity of existing of BSNL exhchanges by multiple times," Upadhyay said.

C-DOT today started two-day manufacturer's conference.

The conference was inaugurated by Adviser to Prime Minister on Public Information Infrastructure and Innovations Sam Pitroda.