AP broadband project bids finalized

Heightened competition among bidders and with a zeal to deploy the booming
broadband network in the state, the Andhra Pradesh gov-ernment is doing a fast
forward act in finalizing the bids for the Rs 400 crore-Rs 600 crore broadband
project.

"We have finalized on three bidders for the proposed 1 GB broadband
network.

Reliance, Universal Broad-band-a consortium led by K Krishna Prasad, an NRI
and Nuziveedu Seeds Ltd and Aksh Broadband Pvt Ltd-a conso-rtium of Aksh
Optifibre Ltd, RailTel Corporation of India Ltd, In Cabel Net (Andhra Pradesh),
Spectranet and Tata Indicom/VSNL," explained Andhra Pradesh Technology
Services Ltd (APTS) MD Randeep Sudan.

"We are overlooking the revenue models quoted by these bidders and we
might opt for a combination of these players," he added.

Surprisingly, the otherwise time consuming system of finalizing on the
tenders, and short listing of bidders has just taken three weeks and by the
first week of December the final commercial bidding process would be through.

Detailing this move as the new face for all e-governance initiatives, Sudan
attributed this to the new government that's thinking on new lines of
approach. Further elabo-rating on the funding of this project, he said,
"The government initially invited international consultants for the Request
for Proposal (RfP) and for the organi-zational structure for the broadband
project costing around Rs 60 lakh. But we at APTS took the initiative to come up
with our own frame-work and invited a Canadian consultant to vet on the alr-eady
prepared plan, there by saving costs."

This methodology that cost the government around Rs 3,70,000 was not only
cost effective but was also benchmarked against global standards.

Sunitha Natti

Hydrabad