Alcatel announced today that it has won an order from ITI, India`s largest telecom equipment company, for the supply and installation of a significant GSM network expansion for the state-owned BSNL (Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd), the main Indian operator in terms of phone lines and coverage.
This contract, valued at about 65 million euros, covers the expansion of BSNL network in Western India including Gujrat, Maharashtra, MP and Chattisgarh.
This order is the first one following the signature, also announced today, of a long-term collaboration agreement between Alcatel and ITI for the production and deployment in India of Alcatel`s Evolium latest generation GSM solution in order to meet the growing demand for mobile solutions in the country.
In the first phase of this agreement, ITI will deploy the GSM equipment produced by Alcatel, such as wireless switches and base stations. Within a few months, ITI will acquire Alcatel GSM technology to manufacture this equipment under the Alcatel licence at the ITI plant in Mankapur.
YK Pandey, chairman and managing director of ITI, declared: "Through our alliance with Alcatel over the past 20 years, ITI has been able to play a key role in building the telecom infrastructure in India."
He added: "Now, with the introduction of Alcatel`s industry-leading GSM technology, we are able to enter the mobile segment and provide a complete portfolio of mobile solutions to our public and private telecom operators."
Ravi Sharma, managing director of Alcatel in India, stated: "India is currently a booming telecom market and it is the right time for Alcatel to develop in India, a manufacturing and distribution base for servicing both the local and the regional markets."
He added: "The long-term collaboration between Alcatel and ITI will contribute to make India self-reliant for GSM/EDGE equipment and will enable Indian mobile operators such as BSNL to provide high quality services to their subscribers."
Share
ITI is India`s premier telecommunications equipment manufacturer that has repositioned itself as a total telecom solution provider, having contributed to over 70% of the existing national telecom network. The state-owned company offers a complete range of telecom products covering a whole spectrum of switching, transmission, access and customer premise equipment.
Alcatel
Alcatel provides communications solutions to telecommunication carriers, Internet service providers and enterprises for delivery of voice, data and video applications to their customers or to their employees. Alcatel leverages its leading position in fixed and mobile broadband networks, applications and services to bring value to its customers in the framework of a broadband world. With sales of 12.5 billion euro in 2003, Alcatel operates in more than 130 countries.
Alcatel in India
Alcatel is a leading provider of end-to-end telecommunications and Internet-based solutions in India. It was the first company to manufacture digital switching equipment in the country and about half of India`s fixed service lines are powered by Alcatel technology. In addition to fixed-line switches, Alcatel is active in the areas of GSM infrastructure, transmission equipment, development and implementation of IN platform, EPABX, mobile phones, broadband equipment, space equipment and telecom infrastructure projects in railways, roads and aviation.