Telecom equipment firm ITI Ltd has bagged the Rs 7,000 crore tender floated by the Indian Army for its communication network across the country.
The Bangalore-based ITI has emerged as the lowest bidder in the Rs 7,000 crore phase-IV tender of the Army Static Switched Communication Network (ASCON) for deploying and maintaining Indian Army’s communication network.
ITI, a central-government owned company, said the communication network project includes civil works for the infrastructure and optical fiber network, installation, commissioning and maintenance of equipment such as Internet protocol, multiprotocol label switching routers, microwave radio, satellite terminals, network management system, mobile nodes and testing tools.
“The mega project will provide telecom solution and infrastructure with a two-year warranty and maintenance support of the network for eight years,” said ITI chairman and managing director S. Gopu.
The turnkey order from the Defense Ministry will be in continuation of the first three phases of the network the company executed and has been maintaining over the last 25 years.
The network backbone, being implemented in phases along the borders, consists of voice and data switches interconnected with microwave radio, optical fiber equipment and satellites.
The network’s fourth phase will be spanning different terrain in the northern, northeastern and western regions of the country.
