MTC Namibia awards five-year access network deal to Motorola

Details: Alec Barton; Category: Wireless Networks; 20 February 2006; 11015 views

Mobile Telecommunications Limited of Namibia has signed a five-year exclusive contract with Motorola Limited for the supply of GSM/GPRS/EDGE and Canopy access network equipment...

Mobile Telecommunications Limited of

Namibia

has signed a five-year exclusive contract with Motorola Limited for the supply of GSM/GPRS/EDGE and Canopy access network equipment. The installation of the new equipment will help

Namibia'

s sole cellular service provider expand its network and reach 95% of

Namibia'

s population.

The contract builds on the existing long-term relationship between the two companies. Equipment to be acquired from Motorola includes base stations, base station controllers, trans-coders, and GPRS and Canopy equipment. Under the agreement, MTC has also signed up for Motorola's software upgrade program, pursuant to which MTC will receive upgrades of Motorola's GSM/BSS software and GPRS packet core software over the next five years.

Commenting on the deal MTC managing director Bengt Strenge said: "We're expanding our network capacity rapidly and rolling out to the rural areas we've not previously penetrated. In 2006 we will focus on road coverage and ensure that all main routes in Namibia are covered. Our extended coverage will also enable us to reach new target markets as we will reach 95% of the population by the end of 2006 compared to our present coverage of 88%. The expansion will also enable MTC to improve quality on the existing network and reduce congestion."

* MTC is Namibia 's only cellular network operator with over 430,000 active subscribers. It boasts coverage of 90% of the population with 250 base stations spread across a vast country. In operation since 1995, MTC offers GPRS capability including MMS, e-mail and internet access amongst a range of pre- and post-paid solutions.

More info: