Industry seek inclusion of local tech for KLI undersea fibre link project

New Delhi, Feb 21 (PTI): Domestic telecom gear makers have approached the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to include technologies available with indigenous players for the Rs 1,072-crore Kochi-Lakshadweep Islands (KLI) submarine cable connectivity project.
The Telecom Equipment Manufacturers Association of India (TEMA) and the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) have written separately to the DoT that based on discussion with officials working on the project, they apprehend that proposed norms may lead to a foreign vendor bagging the deal.
According to TEMA and PHDCCI, government officials are in favour of using repeater submarine cables for the project which they say is available with select foreign vendors, while repeaterless cables at a lower cost can be deployed under the project.
The KLI submarine cable connectivity project was approved by the Cabinet in December 2020 with an outlay of Rs 1,072 crore, and is expected to be completed by May 2023.