Alcatel-Lucent Bags Contract from Vietnam Mobile Telecom
Alcatel-Lucent says that it has been awarded a USD 48 million contract
by Vietnam Mobile Telecom Services Company to expand and enhance the
wireless communications services available through its Mobifone mobile
network. Mobifone plans to offer new services to customers.
The
contract calls for
Alcatel-Lucent to deploy more than 1,400
multi-standard base stations GSM/EDGE latest technology to improve voice
and data services over the Mobifone network and to extend coverage and
capacity throughout northern Vietnam.
This
upgrade will enable Mobifone to offer an enriched mobile phone services
portfolio that will include content services, air-provisioning, and
other advanced services by the end of 2009.
Alcatel-Lucent will provide full turn-key services for the
implementation of this major network upgrade for Mobifone, scheduled for
completion by the end of the first quarter of 2009.
The
services include project management, installation and deployment as well
as radio network engineering services. Alcatel-Lucent's multi-standard
radio access solution will help Mobifone evolve toward W-CDMA/HSPA/HSPA+
by simple software upgrade, using the same radio equipment.
The
equipment also is designed to evolve easily to support IP-based services
and LTE (Long Term Evolution), and can reduce operating costs because
its design reduces power consumption, says Alcatel-Lucent.
Alcatel-Lucent informs that according to research conducted and released
by Vietnam's Ministry of Communication earlier this year, Vietnam's
mobile phone service providers grew to more than 48 million subscribers,
90% of which are pre-paid customers. The subscriber number is expected
to grow 23.5% year-over-year. To date, Mobifone has more than 13.5
million subscribers.
Mobifone began offering mobile telephony service based on GSM technology
15 years ago, making it the first provider of GSM mobile telephony
services in Vietnam, says Alcatel-Lucent. Mobifone intends to offer a
range of new services, including:
-
Mobile Entertainment - downloadable wallpapers, "Funring", polyphonic
tones, and java games
-
Mobile Messaging - Short Message Service (SMS), Multi Media Messaging,
(MMS) and email
-
Address book management
-
Over-the-air provisioning
-
Mobile chat
-
Mobile info service
Alcatel-Lucent, according to the company, is a leading player in the GSM/EDGE
market with over 185 customers in more than 95 countries
