NEW DELHI, May 15: The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has finally decided to take up field trial of IS-136 standard wireless local loop (WLL) system being offered by Ericsson Telecom Ltd for induction into the national telecom network. Ericsson has in the last two years been pressing that the DoT give it a chance to obtain a type approval certificate from the Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC). This would qualify the company to offer its equipment for the department's massive technology upgradation plans. The TEC in a letter dated May 7, 1997, addressed to Ericsson Telecom Private Ltd, director, business development, Arne Palmkvist, said, "I have been directed to convey that the field trial of system at Bangalore has been agreed to subject to the following conditions." The letter was signed by TEC director BC Chakrabarti. Ericsson, which has a 43 per cent international market share in wireless system has so far been cold shouldered by DoT.

Other world leaders in the technology like Hughes, Siemens, Motorola and Lucent who were offering the TDMA wireless technology also could not make any headway so far. DoT was always determined to push forward the CDMA wireless system offered by Qualcomm. Despite repeated offers during the last two years Qualcomm failed to secure a type approval certificate from TEC and hence the search now for better systems. DoT has to adopt the wireless technology in a big way if it has to supplement its massive expansion plans in the coming years. But for its failure to identify a suitable technology, the department was all set to call for international competitive bids for the equipment early this year. The success of Ericsson in getting the DoT nod to go ahead with the field trial will propel other competitors to ask for examining their system as well. Ericsson vice-president and general manager marketing, Anil Raj told The Financial Express, "we first offered our proposal in 1995. Since then we have been repeatedly sending our offer to DoT. We had offered to bear all the expenses and complete the field trial in three months." "We are offering a proven technology. We are no greenhorns offering any obsolete technology. IS 136 has been proved the world over and we are the market leaders in wireless technology. We have five million subscribers the world over. I do not see any problem in getting the type approval," Raj said

The TEC letter asked Ericsson to submit all the features as per TEC guidelines for digital wireless local loop system by June 1997.

Comprehensive test schedule with test procedure and best set-up covering all the parametres of TEC rules have to be submitted within four weeks, the communique said. It further said that the field trial equipment shall be without container. TEC has also asked Ericsson for a definite time frame for implementation of the field trial within two weeks. Other conditions say that the field trial system shall be fully digital, all the features such as Data Modem etc shall be supported in digital channel and with submission of technical literature of the system.

The company has to intimate DoT on the requirement of the frequency. The company has also been asked to select the site and subscribers in consultation with the telecom officials in Bangalore.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.