Etisalat Nigeria renews managed services contract with Alcatel-Lucent

Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) has been selected by Etisalat Nigeria (EMTS, Emerging Market Telecommunication Services), one of the fastest growing mobile service operators in Nigeria, to continue providing managed services for its expanding mobile network.

The operator's subscriber base has dramatically grown 120% year-over-year, to over seven million subscribers in just two years. Alcatel-Lucent will continue supporting Etisalat Nigeria's network transformation by developing and delivering new end-user services as required, to meet its customers' growing demands.

The renewed two-year multivendor managed services agreement will significantly reduce operational expenses, while improving service quality for Etisalat Nigeria's subscribers. Alcatel-Lucent will be responsible for ensuring the high-quality and reliable performance of the network in the south-west of the country, including Lagos, by providing world-class services that include network operations, consulting, design, network optimisation, spare parts management, maintenance services, and project management.

By outsourcing the day-to-day operations and maintenance to Alcatel-Lucent, Etisalat Nigeria will be able to focus on their core business issues, such as increasing average revenue per user (ARPU) and ensuring increased network quality and affordability while avoiding the complexity of network operations and management.

“This new contract further strengthens our longstanding co-operation with Etisalat and highlights their confidence in our ability to create, deliver and manage complex next-generation networks with strong local support capabilities,” said Adolfo Hernandez, President of Alcatel-Lucent's activities in Europe, Middle East and Africa. “With our professional and managed services and advanced technologies, Alcatel-Lucent is committed to helping Etisalat's sustainable development in Nigeria and to ensure the highest level of service to its customers located throughout the country.”

“Since it began operations in Nigeria, Etisalat has been committed to providing Nigerians with world-class service for which Etisalat is known for in all the countries where it operates. That is why we have selected Alcatel-Lucent, a competent partner with global experience, and we look forward to them meeting our high standards of network performance to satisfy the ever-increasing demands of our subscribers,” said Steven Evans, CEO of Etisalat Nigeria.

Alcatel-Lucent has over 20 years of experience in managed services, and currently supports 250 million subscribers across 100 customer networks. Etisalat Nigeria is one of many partners and major service providers around the world that relies on Alcatel-Lucent for network operations, network integration, multi-vendor maintenance, network outsourcing, applications integration and IP network transformation. Other customers include AT&T, Bharti Airtel, Oi, Orange, Reliance, Telecom New Zealand, and Vivacom.