Alcatel-Lucent has signed a $52.87 million deal with CMPak (Zong), the Pakistan-based subsidiary of China Mobile.
According to the agreement, Alcatel-Lucent will expand Zong’s existing GSM/EDGE network. The upgrades are expected to allow the cellular operator to offer enhanced services in the north of the country by the end of June 2009. The vendor will supply Zong with its multi-standard GSM/EDGE radio access solution including its latest base station controller platform and TWIN transceivers, along with microwave transport solutions for enhancing interconnection among base stations and providing mobile traffic backhaul capabilities. Deployment of equipment is reportedly under way, and the project will see AlcatelLucent expand both network capacity and coverage. The hardware vendor will not only design and build the network, but will also provide project management and maintenance services.
