Vanu and HFCL Win Major BSNL Tender

Vanu India Private Limited (Vanu) is pleased to announce that it has teamed with Himachal Futuristic Communications Limited (HFCL) to win a contract awarded by Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) under BSNL's tender for provision of rural telecommunications services in the Northeast area of India. The contract to HFCL covers products and services worth INR 579 crore. The scope of the project includes surveying, planning, supply, installation, testing, commissioning, and maintenance for five years of radio access network. The network deployment will include installation of 924 solar powered base transceiver station (BTS) sites manufactured by HFCL using Vanu India technology.

Winning the solicitation underscores Vanu's leadership position in provision of technology for systems to cover off-grid rural areas that have no electrical grid or telecom grid available to provide power or backhaul. Working with Vanu, HFCL is able to assure itself of not only working with a premier technical solution but also one that is local to India where Vanu has been operating for over a decade and has grown a team with significant expertise.

"Vanu's value is to continue its focus on the software radio technology to enable localization of the ecosystem for high-end product development, manufacturing and services to address India's cellular network requirements," said Sanjay Bakaya, Managing Director, Vanu.

By leveraging deep domain expertise in wireless radio technologies and addressing the limitations that have prevented ubiquitous connectivity, Vanu has developed software radio technology and business model innovations that allow partners such as HFCL to work with mobile network operators such as BSNL to deliver profitable coverage solutions for rural markets.

"Vanu's vision of using technology and business model innovations to connect the unconnected fits perfectly with HFCL's strategy to deliver the most competitive and innovative products and technology solutions to our customers. We are looking forward to working with Vanu to improve connectivity not only in the Northeast, but everywhere in rural India," said Mahendra Nahata, Managing Director, HFCL.

Vanu is the only company that designs and optimizes products for the unique needs of rural markets and also runs rural networks using its own software radio technology. Vanu uses its first-hand experience as a mobile network operator to develop solutions that permit network operators to profitably deliver connectivity to people in the world's most remote areas.

We believe connectivity is essential for communities because, in today's world if you are not connected, you will be left behind. Vanu is committed to ensuring no community is left behind.

About Vanu (www.vanu.com)

Vanu provides products and services that make it possible for network operators to profitably deliver connectivity to the world's unconnected, underserved rural markets. Vanu's solutions combine technology and business model innovation to reduce the total cost of ownership of wireless networks. Today over one billion people in the world lack cellular coverage and half the world does not access the internet. This adversely affects the health, safety, education and well-being of hundreds of thousands of rural communities. By enabling network operators to profit from serving these markets, we can improve the lives of billions of people.

About Himachal Futuristic Communications Ltd. (www.hfcl.com)

HFCL is a leading telecom infrastructure developer, system integrator and manufacturer of high-end telecom equipment and optical fiber cables, having its manufacturing facilities at Solan, Goa and Chennai.

HFCL provides single window solution for telecom and OFC projects; offering design, equipment supply, installation, system integration, operation and maintenance services. As a solutions expert in telecommunication and related infrastructure domain, the Company is now leveraging its inherent strengths in addressing complex needs of emerging sectors, such as Defence, Homeland Security, Railway Communication and Signaling and also Smart City Projects.