BSNL, finalises tender for 22.75 mln GSM lines

New Delhi, Sept 7 (UNI) State-owned BSNL today said it has finalised the tender for adding 22.75 million GSM lines.

''Ericsson has accepted the letter of intent (LoI) for 13.125 million lines and LoI to Nokia for 9.675 million lines is under issue,'' said company's Chairman and Managing Director Kuldeep Goyal.

The company plans to add around two million mobile connections per month from January next year, he added.

BSNL will invest Rs 22,881 crore in 2007-08 for expansion of telecom network during 2007-08.

The tender of 22.75 million GSM lines was cleared after being cut from its initial size of 45.5 million lines. Motorola was disqualified in the earlier tender along with its Chinese partner ZTE.

US-based telecom giant Motorola, which was earlier disqualified from state-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd's (BSNL) tender for 45.5 million GSM lines, had recently said that it is still keen to participate if fresh bids are invited.

BSNL is also expected to float a fresh tender of 40-50 million GSM lines within the next eight to nine months.

UNI