NCRTC invites bids for providing mobile coverage in tunnels and underground stations of Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS Corridor

National Capital Region Transport Corporation Limited (NCRTC) has invited limited e-bids for Licensing of space for In-Building Solutions (IBS) for providing shared mobile (Cellular) coverage (2G/3G/4G/5G) in tunnels section and underground stations of Section-1 of Anand Vihar Station and Section-2 of Meerut Central, Bhaisali and Begumpul Stations along with RRTS tunnels associated with each section(s) on either side with them up to ramp in the section of Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut corridor of RRTS Network.

• Tender Reference Number: DM/MS/COR-OF/229
• Name of Work: Licensing of space for In-Building Solutions (IBS) for providing shared mobile (Cellular) coverage (2G/3G/4G/5G) in tunnels section and underground stations of Section-1 of Anand Vihar Station and Section-2 of Meerut Central, Bhaisali and Begumpul Stations along with RRTS tunnels associated with each section(s) on either side with them up to ramp in the section of Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut corridor of RRTS Network.
• EMD: INR 20 Lakhs
• Licence Period: 06 Years
• Document Download / Sale Start Date: 25th Aug, 2023
• Document Download / Sale End Date: 04th Oct, 2023
• Pre-bid Meeting: 12th Sep, 2023
• Bid Submission Start Date: 27th Sep, 2023
• Bid Submission End Date: 04th Oct, 2023
• Bid Opening Date: 05th Oct, 2023

Objectives:

• NCRTC intends to monetize the commercial potential of Delhi – Meerut RRTS Corridor which will act as a source of funds for meeting operations cost.
• To augment non-fare box revenue of NCRTC through Licensing of Space for In-building Solutions (IBS) for Providing Shared Mobile (Cellular) Coverage (2G/3G/4G/5G) in Tunnels Section and Underground Stations of Section-1: Anand Vihar station And/or Section-2: Meerut Central, Bhaisali and Begumpul stations Along with RRTS Tunnels associated with each section(s) on either side with them up to ramp (Hereinafter referred as IBS).
• NCRTC has carried out a feasibility study for Non-Fare Box Revenue (NBFR) generation which has identified IBS as one of the revenue heads.
• In addition to revenue augmentation, IBS Licences are also intended to enhance the overall aesthetics of the RRTS Stations.

Scope of Work:

• The following Sections on Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS corridor are proposed to be given for IBS rights:

• The Selected Bidder(s), shall be licensed with spaces, according to their bid, for Placement and Operation of Telecommunication Equipment for In-building Solutions (IBS) for Providing Shared Mobile (Cellular) Coverage (2G/3G/4G/5G) in following tunnel section(s) and underground station(s) of NCRTC Network as per terms and conditions of this Bid Document, hereinafter referred to as “Permitted Activity”, subject to the terms and conditions specified in the Bid Document/Draft License Agreement and the guidelines stipulated herein in relation to the Permitted Activity.
• The intention is to provide mobile services of various operators for commuters’ facilitation in Station Premises (Concourse, Platform, PD Areas in both Paid and Unpaid Areas) and inside tunnels connecting the UG stations. No other services which are beyond the scope of this tender like Wi-Fi etc. shall be permitted.
• The IBS as a concept shall be offered by a single operator/entity (neutral host provider) whereby with a single common infrastructure all existing and upcoming mobile operators can serve their customers in an easy and efficient manner. The said entity shall offer shared In-Building Solutions for various types of telecom operators such as GSM/UMTS/LTE/5G Technologies.
• The Selected Bidder shall be required to set up and manage the common shared IBS at the Licensed Premises. The Selected Bidder shall in turn provide the services of IBS to various telecom operators and other agencies that require the same in tunnel and underground station of the section by charging them appropriate licensee fee.
• The Selected Bidder in turn shall pay monthly License Fee and other charges along with applicable taxes, quarterly in advance, to NCRTC. Payment terms and agreement between bidders/ ISP and TSP must be transparent.
• The Licensee has to appoint minimum two (2) service providers (MSPs.) to carry out the Permitted Activity within the Licensed Premises. The Licensee shall ensure that any agreement or understanding executed between the Licensee and other telecom operators shall strictly adhere to compliances of Licence Agreement executed between NCRTC and Licensee.

The IBS provided by Selected Bidder shall:

• Include all cellular existing standards such as GSM, UMTS, W-CDMA, LTE/VOLTE and 5G etc.
• The IBS coverage shall be provided through a distributed antenna system and it shall be left to the Selected Bidder to decide on the technology solution fitted best to meet the coverage criteria.
• The technical specifications of the technology solution to be adopted by the Selected Bidder should be of updated technology.
• The License Fee of Space quoted by Bidder, as per RFP, shall be for 2G/3G/4G/5G only during the tenure of Licence Agreement. In case of any technological upgradation beyond 5G, since there is uncertainty, the License Fee of Space shall be reviewed on mutually agreed terms and conditions. In event of failure of finalisation of mutually agreed License Fee of Space, the Licence Agreement shall be terminated by NCRTC as per terms and conditions of Licence Agreement.
• No repeater equipment shall generally be installed in tunnels. Nevertheless, if it  is unavoidable then repeaters can be allowed by NCRTC if deemed fit adhering to the schedule of dimensions.
• Power for the same has to be extended by the Licensee from the licensed room. Any coaxial cable, power cable etc. has to meet the FRLSZH (Fire Retardant Low Smoke Zero Halogen) criteria for underground environment and has to be provided by the licensee (Details as mentioned in Annexure-B and C).
• Further, Licensee to use as many active components as required to provide adequate coverage as per 2.3 a).The installation has to be inside the false ceiling and aesthetics is to be maintained. Location of such installation is to be approved by NCRTC. Use of these active equipment is limited to the scope of this Agreement and they cannot be used for any other purpose such as Wi-Fi, etc.
• All equipment, cables and any/ all accessories installed for the execution of above works  will become property of NCRTC and cannot be removed after Commencement of License Fee.
• Minimum two (2) service providers (MSPs.) shall be required as per this Bid Document to carry out the Permitted Activity. The Licensee shall obtain prior permission from NCRTC to include/exclude any service provider in the IBS.
• Inclusion of additional telecom operators, above limit of 4, shall increase the License Fee by 20% for each new telecom operator. The Licensee shall endeavour to have tie-ups with all mobile service providers of Delhi NCR for the authority to receive their signals and propagate them.
• However tie-ups with at least two (2) mobile service providers shall be mandatory. Licensee shall be allowed to begin with minimum one operator on ROD/date of commencement of licence fees whichever is later and minimum 2 (two operators within four months of ROD/date of commencement of licence fees whichever is later).
• Non-provisioning of mobile signals, as above, shall be treated as Material Breach of Contract/Event of Default on the part of Licensee. Further, the agreement between Licensee and the operators shall cease in case of termination of Licence Agreement entered between Licensee and NCRTC.
• In case licensees fail to comply with the provision of tie ups with mobile operators as described above, NCRTC reserves the right to ask individual/group of mobile operators to propagate their signals in licensed premises.
• Some of the stations of the licensed sections may be under management of NCRTC Project Wing as these stations are under construction. The access to such section/station and the rooms shall be provided to Licensee at least thirty (30) days before Revenue Operation Date (“ROD”) of these stations.
• NCRTC shall issue a Possession Letter for taking over the possession of location within ten days of the issuance of Letter of Possession. The ROD provided is tentative as it depends on sanction of section by CMRS. The final ROD shall be decided only after clearance by CMRS.
• The Licensee shall install all necessary cables of FRLSZH type only and associated equipment for receiving signals of mobile service providers. In this regard certificates and test reports of the manufacturer are to be submitted to NCRTC.
• Licensee has to install all necessary cables of FRLSZH type only, LCX & OFC in tunnel, cables and fixing of antenna in station and associated equipment for amplification of the signals in all areas of the underground stations and the approach ramp of the tunnel at its own cost, so as to provide seamless connectivity to the commuters travelling in the tunnels and underground station(s) of the Section. Cable trays and cable hangers for this purpose will be provided by NCRTC against payment of one time capital cost and monthly fee.
• In case of separate cabling for CDMA and GSM network, the charges for the clamps shall be applicable for 2 cables. Licensee shall at their own cost and risk prepare/install cable tray and clamps etc. where such provision is not available. No claim or compensation on this account shall be entertained. General specification of the cables shall be as per Annexure-B.
• In addition, 4 (four) random samples from each type of cable are required to be tested for conformance of the specifications related to fire and smoke in Govt. lab and cost of such testing to be borne by the Licensee.
• Over sheath of the LCX cable shall be an extruded layer of anti-corrosion, reduced flame  propagation, low smoke zero halogen compound complying with the fire performance requirement as per Annexure-B Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) report of the cables to be submitted to NCRTC for review of the above parameters.
• The Licensee is permitted to take fibre from out-side station to GSM room at their own cost and meeting the requirement of cable specifications for Underground Section. The fibre cable is to be used solely for carrying traffic for mobile coverage of NCRTC. No other data of whatever type shall be permitted on this fibre cable.
• The Licensed Space shall be utilised only by the Licensee or his associates/permitted operators as per Terms and Conditions of RFP/Bid Document (Draft Licence Agreement placed as Contract form ). In this regard, the Licensee shall obtain prior written permission for operators to operate at a particular site from NCRTC.
• If at any stage during Licence Period, it is found that the total operators at any location is more than permissible limit, licence fee shall be charged at double the rate of licence fee applicable for single operator at that location on pro-rata basis from the date of handing over of the location and all utility services shall remain disconnected till the extra operators vacate the Licensed Premises.
• The sites shall exclusively belong to the NCRTC, without creating any right, title or interest of whatsoever nature in the said Licensed Premises in favour of the Licensee.
• Licensee shall ensure regular interaction and provide all necessary logistic support to the mobile operators so that they can provide uninterrupted mobile coverage in all underground areas.
• The Licensee shall ensure compliance with permissible radiation limits for mobile towers/antennas as laid down by Municipal Corporation / State Government / Department of Telecommunications, etc. from time to time.
• The service provider/integrator should confirm to smooth voice communication in the vicinity of towers. A joint checking of the coverage with representatives of the licensee, NCRTC and mobile Operators shall be conducted half-yearly and in case of any shortfall, a token penalty of ₹ 5,000/- will be levied on the Licensee.
• The Selected Bidder shall be responsible for obtaining necessary permissions from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and comply with all the guidelines issued by DoT from time to time and applicable law for undertaking the Permitted Activity in the Licensed Premises. Any law/instruction issued by Local Authority, in this regard, shall also be adhered to.
• The Selected Bidder shall first utilise the telecommunication infrastructure of NCRTC on commercial terms wherever technically feasible and agreed by NCRTC before considering alternate facilities.
• To power up the repeater inside the tunnel, Licensee has to make up his own arrangements from licensed rooms.
• Licensee shall interface with Civil/Electrical/Signal & Telecom etc during execution of work. Licensee shall also attend progress review meetings held at site offices on a regular basis. After completion of work as built drawings shall be submitted to NCRTC.
• The licensee must ensure that the telecom coverage provided in UG Stations and Tunnels does not interfere with the Captive LTE Network of NCRTC. The licensee will be penalised a token penalty of INR 50,000/- per instance/location/day if interference is observed from the IBS services provided. The frequency range of NCRTC Captive LTE Network will be notified to the successful contractor.

Licensee shall be responsible for the following activities:

• The Licensee shall ensure that passengers using RRTS train services will get uninterrupted mobile coverage without any interruption in the underground section as described in Scope of this document.
• It requires that the Radio system shall have an overall availability of better than 99.95%. The signal level should be such that the uplink and downlink audio quality level under such conditions should be good.
• The minimum signal level which is sufficient for successful radio calls must be available in all coverage areas including inside the moving (maximum 160 kmph) train compartment. It shall be available in 95% of total area and in the worst case not more than 50 metres of continuous stretch in stations and in tunnels/trains should be without coverage.
• The signal levels shall not go below minus 98 dBm which shall be taken as the worst case Downlink signal levels after taking into account all losses such as propagation losses, feeder losses, body loss, fading, train penetration losses, multiple floor / wall penetration losses, climatic losses, etc.
• The Licensee shall be licensed with space for Placement and Operation of Telecommunication Equipment for Providing Mobile (Cellular) Network (2G/3G/4G/5G). For the purpose of placement of equipment, the Licensee shall submit the design/layout of the location of placement of equipment along with other relevant details.
• NCRTC shall consider the plan with respect to aesthetics, operational feasibility, and safety & security concerns. If the whole plan or a part of the plan is not approved by NCRTC, Licensee is required to submit revised plan for approval. All further modification/ revision in plan(s)are required to be approved by NCRTC.
• Designing of all units/structures to complement station architecture/design for installation of  telecommunication equipment.
• Procurement, fabrication, installation & erection of equipment. The equipment inventory shall  be within the Licensed Premises only. Licensee shall prepare the plan for approval for NCRTC.
• Appoint competent nodal officers to interact with nodal NCRTC representatives to bring clarity  in understanding of spaces, coordinate and implement decisions taken. Operate, manage and maintain the entire Licensed Premises.
• Obtain all approvals, permits, etc from all competent and required authorities, including different tiers of government, statutory, local, civic authorities, DoT etc. at its own cost.
• Comply with all statutory requirements in connection with Licence Agreement.
• Ensure regular and timely payments of all amounts due to NCRTC and discharge all obligations as per Licence Agreement.
• Payment of all statutory taxes, local levies, statutory dues, etc (except property tax which shall be borne by NCRTC) as and when due.
• GST and surcharge thereon, as applicable from time to time, shall be paid by the Licensee.
• Licensee shall also adhere to procedure of NCRTC regarding release of electric supply and  specification of materials to be used for use of electric supply, Air-conditioning work, Fire Protection System, Fire NOC as detailed at Annexure-C and Material Specification for renovation/refurbish of premises as per Annexure-D.

About Delhi-Meerut RRTS:

• NCRTC is implementing the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) projects across the National Capital Region (NCR), ensuring balanced and sustainable urban development through better connectivity and access.
• For this purpose, a total 08 (eight) corridors have been identified for implementation. Out of these, 03 (three) corridors namely, Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut, Delhi-Alwar and Delhi-Panipat are planned to be implemented in the first phase. Corridor-I (Delhi-GhaziabadMeerut) is the first corridor under implementation for revenue service.
• All RRTS corridors shall be interoperable with seamless connectivity among each other  which means passengers boarding trains from any corridor shall be capable of travelling to other corridors and vice-versa seamlessly. Sarai Kale Khan (SKK) station near Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station is planned to be the interoperable station for the first three corridors.
• Corridor-I (Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut) consists of approx. 82 km elevated / at grade/ underground section from Sarai Kale Khan (in Delhi) to Modipuram (in Uttar Pradesh).
• There are 25 stations on this corridor (16 stations of RRTS and 9 stations of MRTS) of which 04 are interchange stations (between RRTS and MRTS) namely Meerut South, Shatabdi Nagar, Begampul, and Modipuram.
• In the section from Meerut South to Modipuram station, both RRTS and MRTS trains shall operate on the same infrastructure. Projected Footfall Data is mentioned in Annexure-A.

Eligibility:

• Submission of audited financial data for the last 03 (three) financial years or from the date of incorporation, whichever is later, to demonstrate the current soundness of the Bidder’s  financial position.
• As a minimum, the Bidder’s Net worth for the last year calculated as the difference between total assets and total liabilities should be positive.
• Minimum Average Annual Telecommunication Businesses Turnover of INR 10 crore  calculated as total certified payments received for contracts in progress or completed, within the last 03 (three) years or from the date of incorporation, whichever is later.

Tender documents can only be obtained online on the website https://etenders.gov.in/eprocure/app

Source: NCRTC- Tender | Image Credit (representational): NCRTC