Alcatel has announced the signature of a US$50 million frame agreement with Russia's Mobile TeleSystems (MTS) for the deployment of MTS' networks in 11 regions in Russia and the extension of MTS' network in Ukraine. Delivery of the equipment will be in phases scheduled for completion in the second quarter of 2005.
Deployment of these networks will considerably increase MTS' presence in the Volga and Southern regions of Russia. Alcatel will also deliver its Open Services Platform (OSP) that will be installed in MTS' networks in the North-West, Urals, Volga and Southern regions of Russia. Alcatel will supply MTS with its Evolium? GSM/GPRS end-to-end solutions, including Base Stations Sub-systems (BSS) and Mobile Switching Centers (NSS) that will be used to deploy new MTS networks in the Astrakhanskaya, Volgogradskaya and Ulyanovskaya oblasts, the Mari El, Chuvashskaya, Mordovia, Dagestan, Kabardino-Balkarskaya, Karachaevo-Cherkesskaya and North Osetia-Alania republics and Stavropolsky krai.
Vassily Sidorov, President and CEO of MTS commented: "Alcatel's solutions were chosen after extensive evaluation of other vendors' proposals. We have partnered with Alcatel on several projects already and are confident that their technologies, combined with their understanding of our local needs and realities, will enable us to successfully implement this project".
Mobile TeleSystems OJSC (or "MTS") is the largest mobile phone operator in Russia and Ukraine in terms of subscribers. Together with its subsidiaries, the company services over 20 million subscribers."
Posted to the site on 28th April 2004
Posted to: www.cellular-news.com/story/11062.php