Nepal Telecom has invited international bids for a project covering 1,600 mobile sites, according to a tender summary published on 13 October. The company wants a supplier to deliver, install and start up equipment for what it calls a 2G/4G swap and expansion.
The project's stated aim is better mobile coverage, capacity and service quality. It is not yet disclosed about which districts will get sites, what the contract is worth or when the work must finish.
What Nepal Telecom is buying
The tender title is Supply, Delivery, Installation and Commissioning of NT 2G/4G SWAP and Expansion Project.
In plain terms, the winning bidder would supply the equipment, deliver it, install it and bring it into service.
The scope covers network equipment and systems to replace or upgrade existing infrastructure and to extend service. 2G networks mainly carry calls and text messages. 4G carries faster mobile internet.
A network swap generally means replacing existing equipment, or moving it from one site to another, as part of an upgrade. It does not necessarily mean 1,600 new towers.
Bid dates and costs
The tender number is NDCL/CTO/ICB/04/083-84. Nepal Telecom is using international competitive bidding, which opens the contest to foreign suppliers. The process is single-stage with two envelopes. The bid document costs Rs 100,000, with a Rs 23,000 courier charge.
A pre-bid meeting, where bidders can seek clarification on the requirements, is set for 30 October at 11:30 a.m.
Bids are due by noon on 20 November, and the bids will be opened at 1 p.m. the same day. All times are Nepal Standard Time.
Bidders must also lodge bid security of NPR 268,294,375, about Rs 268.29 million. Bid security is a guarantee that a bidder submits with its offer; it protects the buyer if a bidder withdraws. It is not the cost of the project.
Equipment suppliers will need to check the antenna rules before bidding. Nepal Telecom’s Office of the Chief Technical Officer and its Central Procurement Department run the bidding.
Questions over the antenna rules
On 8 October, a report said the tender restricts where certain microwave and in-building antennas may be made. Only specified countries in North America, Europe, Japan, Australia and New Zealand qualify. An exception covers vendors that earlier supplied at least 1,000 antennas to Nepal Telecom and hold a satisfactory performance certificate.
What this could mean for users
Nepal Telecom’s website says its 4G service is available in all 77 districts. Company reporting puts 4G access at about 749 local levels and says 2G reaches all local bodies.
The project could improve signal in coverage gaps, add capacity where demand is high, and make calls and mobile internet more reliable. It could also serve customers using 2G-compatible feature phones as well as 4G smartphones.
A separate agreement involving Nepal Telecom and the Nepal Telecommunications Authority, reported on 10 October, concerns the Information Highway, a fibre-broadband initiative. It is not part of the 1,600-site mobile project.
