Top government sources, while brushing aside claims made by private basic service providers that DoT was reluctant to use the Cor-Dect technology, said the department had decided to speed up the field trials of the WLL equipment.

The controversy over the usage of Cor-Dect technology has erupted following the government's decision to withdraw the concessional rate of customs duty on WLL equipment.

Since most of the imported WLL equipment is based on code division multiple access (CDMA) technology, private basic service operators and imported WLL equipment suppliers are up in arms against the customs duty change. They allege that the government is trying to force a domestic technology, which DoT and MTNL themselves do not use, down their throats.

Top sourcesin DoT told The Financial Express that, "statements by certain operators implying that the DoT was not implementing Cor-Dect technology are false and misleading".

Top ministry sources said that Cor-Dect-based field trials will be started shortly in Panipat, Rajkot and Bhopal. Three bidders have been shortlisted for the supply and installation of Cor-Dect technology-based WLL equipment. The bidders will have to supply, install, test and complete field trials of a 250-line system within the next six months.

The companies are Electronics Corporation of India Ltd (ECIL), Shyam Telecom and Himachal Futuristic Communications Ltd (HFCL). The financial bids for the WLL project will be evaluated by February 2000, with purchase orders being placed in the same month. The successful bidder will then have to install and commission the WLL equipment by the end of the year.

Seven companies have also been shortlisted for the CDMA technology-based WLL system that shall be validated by the TEC. The companiesshortlisted include HTL at Chennai field trial site, Motorola at Guwahati, ITI Ltd at Ernakulam, Escorts at Hyderabad, Fujitsu at Lucknow, Ericsson at Bangalore and HFCL at Calcutta.

The WLL systems shall be validated/field tried by TEC, with spectrum allocation clearance (SACFA) for the trials being taken by respective circles. As of now, the Bangalore circle site being set up by Ericsson has obtained the SACFA clearance. DoT has also decided that the 250 lines will be loaded up to 75 per cent with service connections only, during the field trials.

The time schedule for different activities as per the tender includes a two-month time period for supply of equipment for field trial, two months for installation of equipment and validation and six months for the field trial.

The total implementation schedule for the Cor-Dect and the CDMA/TDMA-based WLL system has been worked out over a period of one year beginning November 1999 to December 2000.