Alcatel-Lucent is in negotiations with Indian wireless companies to provide equipment for planned wireless broadband networks, according to reports from Reuters and The Economic Times.
Citing Munish Seth, Alcatel-Lucent’s newly appointed head for its Indian business, Reuters said the company was in talks with “most of the people who have won the spectrum,” a list that includes Reliance Industries and Tikona Digital Networks.
Alcatel-Lucent could get its first order for broadband equipment in early 2011, according to The Economic Times. The Indian government recently conducted back-to-back auctions for 3G spectrum and unpaired 4G spectrum. The equipment orders are expected to span both generations of wireless broadband technology, though uncertainty remains about whether holders of India’s BWA spectrum will deploy LTE or WiMAX.
An Alcatel-Lucent spokeswoman was unable to confirm the news because of the time difference between India and the United States, but the company’s president of 4G/LTE wireless networks previously told Wireless Week that he had recently met with seven “key customers” in India to discuss their 4G deployment plans.
India is a key growth market in the wireless industry. Its billion-plus population rivals that of China but India has just 635.5 million mobile subscribers, offering plenty of headroom for growth. The Indian government is also relatively friendly to outside investment when compared to China, making it easier for foreign companies to do business there.
Filed Under: Infrastructure
