Bharti, Nokia Siemens in $900 mln network expansion deal

New Delhi, July 3 (UNI) Country's leading telecom service provider Bharti Airtel Ltd and Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) worth 900 million dollars for network expansion.

NSN will expand Airtel's GSM network in eight circles with estimated 22,000 GSM BTS sites; its national long distance and international long distance network with 1.8 million Next Generation Network (NGN) ports -- the largest ever NGN contract in the country -- and its international calling card prepaid service capacity will add 4.5 million new users.

The GSM and NGN expansions are planned over two years and the international calling cards will expand in three years.

The MoU was signed between Bharti Airtel President and CEO Manoj Kohli and NSN CEO Simon Beresford Wylie here.

''Bharti Airtel is undertaking a massive expansion and integration exercise across its mobile and fixed networks to significantly augment its service delivery capacity,'' Mr Kohli told reporters here.

The expansion will enable Airtel to rapidly expand its geographical footprint to rural India and increase its overall network capacity.

The contract includes network planning, implementation and project management, handling of local logistics and materials as well as system integration for an estimated 22,000 sites.

The two year GSM expansion will cover the eight existing circles of Mumbai, Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, Kolkata and West Bengal, where Nokia Siemens networks already provides equipment and managed services.

''Nokia Siemens Networks has been a strong partner in Bharti Airtel's growth and this contract establishes us as the leading integrated partner across their networks,'' said Mr Beresford-Wylie.

For the two year fixed network expansion, NSN will deploy 1.8 million NGN ports across Airtel's National Long Distance and International Long Distance.

The largest NGN expansion exercise in the country will allow Airtel to consolidate its position as a leading fixed line operator covering Class 4, Long Distance National and International Switches.

The three year international calling cards services expansion will see Airtel more than quadruple its capacity and adequately address its calling card business expansion to tap more international markets.

UNI