Alcatel Signs $685 Million Contract With Nigeria's Globacom

PARIS -(Dow Jones)- French telecommunications equipment maker Alcatel (ALA) Tuesday said it clinched a $685 million contract with Nigeria's Globacom for fixed and mobile multimedia services.

Under the terms of the agreement, Alcatel will expand Globacom's national mobile network capacity to 10 million subscribers from its current 2,5 million by the end of 2005.

Globacom is Nigeria's second-largest national operator, Alcatel said.

The contract also includes a new multi-service network using optical technology, which will enable Globacom to pioneer voice, video and data services in Africa.

Alcatel will also build a 8,600-kilometer submarine cable for Globacom connecting Nigeria with England.

In a separate statement, Alcatel said it has signed a three-year contract with T-Mobile USA, the US unit of Germany's T-Mobile International AG (TMO.YY) to provide equipment for the operator's network.

Alcatel didn't disclose the value of that contract.

-By Adriana Brasileiro, Dow Jones Newswires; +33 1 40 17 17 40, adriana.brasileiro@dowjones.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires"

Posted to the site on 15th February 2005