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Nokia Siemens bags $700 Million contract from Bharti
By siliconindia
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Friday, 12 February 2010, 15:10 IST |
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New Delhi: Bharti Airtel and Nokia Siemens Networks have further strengthened their strategic partnership with a $700 million network expansion contract. The contract includes network planning, implementation and project management, handling of local logistics and materials, as well as system integration for the base station sites.
This GSM network expansion will cover the eight existing circles of Mumbai, Maharashtra and Goa, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh, Bihar and Jharkhand, Orissa, Kolkata and West Bengal where Nokia Siemens Networks already provides equipment and managed services for Bharti Airtel. With close to 60 percent of Airtel's monthly customers coming from rural regions, this contract will enable Airtel to further aggressively expand its footprint into rural India.
"Airtel continues to drive innovation and leadership in the telecom sector. This expansion will not only expand our networks deeper into the rural hinterland but will also allow us to deliver a rich end-user experience, and satisfy the increasing demand for top-quality services," said Sanjay Kapoor, Chief Executive Officer - Designate, Bharti Airtel. "We are delighted with Nokia Siemens Networks' proven expertise and deep understanding of our requirements along with the assurance of network infrastructure that helps us sustain our leadership edge in India."
"The unprecedented growth in the Indian telecommunications sector is compelling telecom operators to offer compelling solutions," said Rajeev Suri, Chief Executive Officer at Nokia Siemens Networks. "With this upgrade, Bharti Airtel can enhance network efficiency for a better end-user experience and, just as importantly, reduce the overall cost of owning and operating its network."
Nokia Siemens Networks will deploy its energy-efficient network solutions, including Flexi multi-radio base stations, packet core platforms and microwave solutions for new and legacy networks to boost performance at a lower total cost of ownership and reduced carbon footprint.
The project will result in improvements to network capacity and spectral efficiency by employing a full range of services comprising network planning, implementation and optimization. Nokia Siemens Networks will also provide an operations and business management platform for the effective monitoring and management of the network. In addition, the company will ensure that Bharti Airtel's core and transport network is 3G-ready in order to reduce time to market and enable the fast rollout of 3G services at a later date.
Nokia Siemens Networks already supplies Bharti Airtel with a wide spectrum of solutions, including device management, mobile network portability, next-generation fixed-network and an interactive voice response system.