MTNL has updated its tender to appoint firms as its franchisees for WiMAX services on a revenue sharing basis. One bidder each in Delhi and Mumbai will be appointed by the firm.

“The offered WiMax Network proposed to be deployed should provide fully converged broadband data and voice services such as access to internet, VPN clients, QoS to individual subscribers, cell support video conferencing, IP multicast, backhaul to Wi-Fi and wireless leased lines etc. based on the leading industry standard i.e. IEEE 802.16e,” said MTNL.

Interested players can submit bids by September 16, 2009 with the bids to be opened the next day.

The frequency of operation is 2.5 GHz.

BSNL too had floated such a tender. But it ultimately turned out to be a big controversy with a particular firm as well as its subsidiaries alleged to be existing only in papers bagging licence in 5 out of 6 circles of operations. The tender was then scrapped. BSNL is yet to conclude its process of identifying interested players to serve as franchisees.

The franchise mode serves good purpose since the sales amd marketing responsibilities rests with the franchisee. PSUS BSNL an MTNL are not considered to be aggressive in their sales initiatives.