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Six weeks to VSNL hub decision

An expert four-member team comprising senior officials of the Department of Telecommunications and the VSNL, is currently evaluating the seven international bids received for the sub-continental hub venture.

T O D A Y

• Net charge • US export curbs • VSNL hub decision • Data warehousing deal

The team is being headed by B L Khurana, DoT's senior deputy director-general (microwave and long distance).

VSNL Chairman and Managing Director B K Syngal said: "The core team is evaluating the detailed proposal submitted by Cable and Wireless, British Telecom-MCI, Hutchison Max Telecom, Telstra, the Global One consortium (comprising Deutsche Telekom, Sprint International and France Telecom), Teleglobe International of Canada and North American Gateway."

The evaluation exercise is expected to be very rigorous as it will stress on transparency, especially in the light of allegations levelled against the mode of the BT-MCI consortium's selection under the original plan.

The project's prominent detractors had apprehensions that the hub would give British Telecom a backdoor entry into DoT's long-distance network.

Christened, Oasis, the high profile telecom project will involve routing international transit call traffic through the proposed $ 500 million hub.

The regional hub project envisages the linking up of a trans-Eurasian high-capacity fibre optic cable to South Asian countries like Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Bangladesh among others.

Earlier (most recent story last):

VSNL to grab more hubbing partners

VSNL readies to build first South Asian telecom hub

VSNL inviting fresh proposals for regional hub

DoT opposes VSNL's hubbing plans

Conspiracy theory

VSNL's invitation for hubbing work questioned

BT to submit fresh proposal for JV with VSNL

Die Hard: VSNL lives!

A+ for Asia

- Compiled from the Indian media

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