California to Choose Between Four for CALNET Award

California's Department of Information Technology (DOIT) and the state's Department of General Services received four bids from companies interested in the state's effort to privatize its largest network, CALNET. The companies are vying to purchase the $550 million network in a competition that will outsource most of the state's telecom needs.

Originally a contest among six vendors, the negotiation now involves four companies after one officially bowed out and another failed to submit its proposal by deadline, a DOIT spokesman.

The spokesman did not provide the identity of the companies no longer participating in the CALNET sale. Originally, the list included Teleport Communications Group, GTE, Sprint, Nortel, AT& T Solutions and Pacific Bell, which was partnered with MCI in the venture.