ITI: Lowest bidder for army network order

Bengaluru, Sep 21 : State-run Indian Telephone Industries (ITI) Ltd on Thursday announced it had emerged as the lowest bidder in the Rs 7,000 crore tender floated by the army for its strategic communication network across the country.

"We have been declared winner (L1) in the Rs 7,000 crore phase-IV tender of the Army Static Switched Communication Network (ASCON) for deploying and maintaining its strategic communication network across the country," said the city-based company in a statement here.

The project includes civil works for the infrastructure and optical fiber network, supply, 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 in the statement. 

The turnkey order from the Defence 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," added the statement.

As a premier telecom equipment provider with production units at six locations across the country, ITI offers products and services to private and state-run enterprises.