The Hindu : Business : Huawei to modernise Bharti Airtel's Africa network

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Thursday, Jun 02, 2011
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Huawei to modernise Bharti Airtel's Africa network

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: Bharti Airtel on Wednesday said it had signed an agreement with Chinese telecom solutions provider Huawei to modernise and expand its 2G and 3G network infrastructure in Africa.

As per the agreement, Huawei will be responsible for designing, planning, modernisation and expansion of Bharti Airtel's networks, as well as managing operations and maintenance. The size of the deal is reportedly around $400 million.

“This innovative managed capacity manager service business model, pioneered by Airtel eight years ago in India, will enhance the customer experience through improved voice quality and extended coverage into under-penetrated areas. The agreement will enable Airtel Africa to rapidly expand its mobile services and mobile broadband footprint in the region,” Bharti Airtel said in a statement.

According to Manoj Kohli, CEO (International) and Joint Managing Director, Bharti Airtel: “This partnership will allow us to focus on delivering better customer experience as we leverage the global network management expertise of Huawei. It also lays the foundation for the introduction of 3G HSPA wireless broadband services.”

“We understand Airtel's strategic requirements and will match their fast development to achieve a win-win business success between both parties. As a leading telecom solutions vendor, Huawei has substantial experience over the years to provide state-of-the-art technologies and services to tap operators in the world. We believe our innovative technologies as well as strong delivery capability will bring Bharti Airtel's customers a better user experience and value proposition,” said Huawei Board Chairwoman Sun Yafang.

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