NEW DELHI, May 9: The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) will proceed with the induction of the WLL (wireless in local loop) technology, though the US multinational Qualcomm has yet again failed to get a validation certificate from the Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC).

Instead, the Mahanagar Telecom Nigam Limited (MTNL), which had announced the commercialisation of the system, has finally managed a conditional certificate from the centre. Though the centre has cited as many as 36 major flaws in the equipment, it has, in a letter addressed to the MTNL general manager, said, "The equipment has been found satisfactory for loading with commercial subscribers."

The DoT obsession with Qualcomm has baffled industry circles, which feel that the consumer is being offered inferior equipment at a substantially higher price. The DoT has simply bypassed leaders in WLL technology in the market while looking for the latest technology. DoT normally gives three months to test a system at the cost of the company, but in this case, the tests were going on for the past two years with all the bills being footed by the commission.

The DoT finance advice had evaluated that the price quoted for the Qualcomm device was at least 25 per cent higher. A number of other companies had approached the DoT in the last two years for type approval of their systems, but only Qualcomm was provided with the testing facility by the Commission.

These companies include Lucent Technologies, Alcatel, Hughes and Ericsson. These companies had approached DoT offering their system, but they were not given a chance. Any system inducted into the DoT network has to get a validation certificate from the TEC.

The TEC letter dated April 9, 1997, has cited a long list of defaults with the system. The testing and validation of 1,000 lines CDMA wireless local loop system of Qualcomm installed at Bhikaji Cama Place, New Delhi, was carried out by a team of engineers from TEC in association with MTNL and T&D circle.

As per the purchase order the following subscriber facilities were to be provided within 90-129 days of commissioning of the system, the TEC letter said: Absent service, PBX/PABX, Malicious Call tracing, Subscriber with own premises meter, Priority Line, Temporary Line, Recorded call, Shared service, Ring back facility, Automatic call alarm, CCB Line, Service interception, Dynamic STD/ISD facility and Automatic call back.

Though the company had offered the facilities of temporary transfer, automatic call, alarm and dynamic STD/ISD along with the system, the test report said, "These tests have been offered but do not meet the requirements". It added, "The pending points mentioned in Annexure-1 shall be attended to by Qualcomm. In accordance with clause 21(vii) of the purchase order, the acceptance testing will be completed only after all the features are fully implemented".

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.