Atende shortlisted in PKP PLK S.A. tender

Atende S.A. is among the seven consortia qualified for the last bidding stage under the second part of the tender procedure for construction of the ERTMS/GSM-R infrastructure for PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe S.A. Total value of the contract is estimated at PLN 2.8 billion to 3.2 billion. In February 2017, PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe S.A. announced a list of 18 entities/consortia interested in participation in the tender procedure.

Atende, forming a consortium with Wrocław-based Fonbud S.A., South Korean Icraft Co. Ltd. and Ukrainian TOB YKPKOM, filed an application concerning the part of the order pertaining to construction of the Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing/Multiprotocol Label Switching (DWDM/MPLS) network. Value of the contract is estimated at approximately PLN 600 million. Twelve applications were received under the tender procedure for this part of the contract, of which seven were qualified for the next stage.

The first part of the contract pertains to construction of a GSM-R network featuring passive infrastructure, radio access equipment and teletransmission from transmitters and (optionally) 7-year maintenance of the entire system, as well as supply of GSM-R terminals and SIM cards. GSM-R (GSM for Railways) is based on the GSM standard, however it features certain extensions adapted to the nature of operations related to the operation and maintenance of railway infrastructure and train traffic management.

Atende engineers were the ones to connect the first Polish companies to the internet in early 1990s. They also played a key role in the telecom revolution in Poland – first during transition from voice to data, and later in implementations of the 3G and 4G networks. In 2013, Atende built the National ICT Network to handle the 112 (OST 112) emergency number. It remains one of the most significant ICT projects for the public sector in Poland to date, completed on time and within the planned budget. A modern, multi-service operator-class network was established, which is able to transmit data, voice and video, connecting more than 900 locations.