India's Bharti Airtel Awards US$900 Million Deal to Nokia Siemens Networks

India's Bharti Airtel Limited awarded a contract valued at approximately US$900 million to Nokia Siemens Networks for an expansion of its mobile, fixed and Intelligent Network platforms. Specifically, Nokia Siemens Networks will expand Airtel's GSM network in eight circles; its National Long Distance and International Long Distance network with 1.8 million Next Generation Network (NGN) ports -- the largest ever NGN contract in the country -- and its International Calling Card prepaid service capacity by 4.5 million news users. The GSM and NGN expansions are planned over two years and the International calling cards expansion over three years.



The two year GSM expansion will cover the eight existing circles of Mumbai, Maharashtra & Goa, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh & Chattisgarh, Bihar & Jharkhand, Orissa, Kolkata and West Bengal, where Nokia Siemens Networks already provides equipment and Managed Services. Nokia Siemens Networks will deploy the latest state of art GSM equipment such as Flexi Edge and Ultrasite BTS, BSC3i, 3GPP-based mobile softswitching solution including 3G capable MSC Servers and Media Gateways, and transmission network including PDH & SDH.



For the two year Fixed Network expansion, Nokia Siemens Networks will deploy 1.8 million Next Generation Networks ports across Airtel's National Long Distance and International Long Distance. Nokia Siemens Networks will deploy its complete IP trunking solution with SURPASS hiE 9200 softswitches, SURPASS hiG 1200 media gateways and SURPASS hiR 200 media servers.



The three year International Calling Cards services expansion will see Airtel more than quadruple its capacity and adequately address its calling card business expansion to tap more international markets. The calling card prepaid service will be supported by Nokia Siemens Networks' flexible IN@vantage platform for intelligent services.

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