Indian operator BSNL will soon invite bids for its 9.63 million GSM line expansion project that Ericsson and Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) have already refused. “We will issue a new tender for adding GSM capacity in January next year,” BSNL Chairman and Managing Director Kuldeep Goyal told India’s Economic Times.

Goyal added that some of the clauses in the new tender may be changed to allow more companies to participate. In the original tender for the total project of 22.75 million lines, Chinese firms ZTE and Huawei could not participate as these companies did not have manufacturing facilities in India. Ericsson eventually secured a deal worth 60 percent of the total project, whilst NSN won the remaining 40 percent. However, NSN later withdrew after talks between the vendor and BSNL broke down over financial issues. Ericsson was later offered the 40 percent share but declined.