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NEWS
Nokia to deliver GSM expansion to Saudi
Telecom Co in Saudi Arabia in USD 200 million agreement
(September 25, 2001)
Nokia has been selected as a key supplier for the expansion of Saudi Telecom
Company's GSM network in an agreement worth up to USD 200 million. Saudi Telecom
Co is the sole mobile operator in the country and is a new customer for Nokia.
The companies have signed a contract under which Nokia will deliver its GSM 900
and 1800 base station subsystem solution and professional services including
planning and implementation.
In addition Nokia will provide its 3G-ready Nokia Ultrasite base station
solution which answers the increasing demand for higher voice and data traffic
in today's mobile networks and evolution to the Mobile Internet era. An
industry-leading product, Nokia Ultrasite can support GSM, EDGE and WCDMA
technologies. Deliveries will start immediately.
The expansion will include increasing capacity in the holy cities of Makkah and
Madinah - pilgrim centres with high density traffic. The agreement is part of
Saudi Telecom Co's network expansion programme that will see capacity more than
double to five million subscribers.
"Demand for mobile-phone lines in Saudi Arabia has been growing by as much
as 120,000 new subscribers a month," said Saud Al-Duwaish, head of the
mobile unit of Saudi Telecom Co, " This agreement is part of our commitment
to meeting demand from customers for increased capacity and the latest
services."
"Nokia is delighted to win Saudi Telecom Co as a new customer in the
fastest growing and most important market in the Middle-East," says Pentti
Karjalainen, Senior Account Manager, Nokia Saudi Arabia,"The Nokia GSM
solution will enable Saudi Telecom to meet demand for increased capacity and
paves the way for future generation services."
Nokia is the world leader in mobile communications. Backed by its experience,
innovation, user-friendliness and secure solutions, the company has become the
leading supplier of mobile phones and a leading supplier of mobile, fixed and IP
networks. By adding mobility to the Internet Nokia creates new opportunities for
companies and further enriches the daily lives of people. Nokia is a broadly
held company with listings on six major exchanges.