Bharti Airtel, Nokia Siemens seal network expansion deal

INDIA'S leading telecommunications firm, Bharti Airtel, has announced that it has entered into an agreement with Nokia Siemens Networks to expand its 2G (GSM/EDGE) networks and deploy 3G networks in seven African countries.Under the agreement, Nokia Siemens Networks will manage end-to-end network operations, including planning, designing and implementing the 2G and 3G networks for Airtel.Presently, Bharti Airtel operates in 16 African countries, including Nigeria, Kenya, Niger, Tanzania, Uganda, Gabon, Chad, Congo, Madagascar among others.Accordingly, the vendor will provide its energy-efficient Flexi Multi-radio Base Stations to expand network coverage to under-served areas, including smaller towns and villages in the seven countries.Bharti Airtel's Chief Executive Officer (International), Manoj Kohli, and joint Managing Director said: 'This agreement manifests our commitment to provide world-class, innovative and affordable mobile services to customers in Africa. We believe Nokia Siemens Networks' global expertise in managed services and compact energy-efficient network equipment are a perfect fit to our long-term goal to be the leading telecommunications provider in the African continent. This partnership will further enable us to rapidly expand our network coverage and provide high-speed wireless Internet connectivity to our customers.
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