State-owned Indian operator Bharat Sanchar Nigam, Ltd (BSNL) said Friday it has tapped US WiMAX kit vendor Soma Networks to deploy what it claims is the largest WiMAX network in India.

The 802.16e-2005 mobile WiMAX network will be rolled out across three circles, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Goa, and Andhra Pradesh and will provide broadband data and voice services to an area reaching more than 200 million people over the next three years.

“India has an immense need for connectivity across a varied and wide-ranging demographic population,” said Kuldeep Goyal, chairman and managing director of BSNL. “After testing, we found Soma Networks’ solution qualified to meet the requirements of our Vision 2010 mandate.”