Paris-based telecom equipment maker Alcatel has been awarded a 50 million euros contract to extend the GSM/EDGE mobile network of Tunisie Telecom, the incumbent fixed and mobile operator in Tunisia. The announcement means that its competitors, China's Huawei and ZTE have been eliminated from the race.
According to Alcatel, this new extension will enable Tunisie Telecom to optimize its existing mobile infrastructure and to improve its communications quality. By supplying evolutionary radio equipment, this project will allow the operator to significantly increase its subscribers' capacity and consolidate its market share.
Under the terms of the contract, Alcatel will provide Tunisie Telecom with its Evolium multi-standard radio access solution which integrates all GSM-based mobile technologies, from GSM/GPRS to EDGE and 3G/UMTS, and allows all solutions in one, for a smooth upgrade of existing networks.
Alcatel's solution meets mobile operators' requirements in the deployment of their new networks and in the optimization of their existing infrastructures. Furthermore, it ensures an efficient evolution towards 3G, minimizing the migration costs and protecting the operators' investment.
© The North Africa Journal 2006
