MTNL's GSM tender by year-end

Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd, Delhi is expected to take a decision on allotting the tender worth Rs 750 crore for 2 million GSM mobile lines by the end of this year.

A senior MTNL official said, "We have received bids from four companies "" ZTE, Ericsson, Siemens, Motorola "" and will finalise the name of the company in two to three months."

The tender has been called in two phases. Each phase would be for setting up 1 million GSM lines. In the first phase there will be 7.5 lakh more lines to enhance the existing 2G services and 2.5 lakh lines for 3G connections.

In the second phase, 5 lakh lines each of both 2G and 3G will be installed. "MTNL will install 3G network in central Delhi, Gurgaon and Noida" the official said.

MTNL is expecting to provide 4 lakh GSM connections by the end of the current fiscal.

"MTNL is providing nearly 1,000 GSM connections daily and would surpass the estimated target of 4 lakh very soon. The 2GSM and 3GSM network is expected to start functioning by March 2007," the official added.