Swedish telecommunications giant Ericsson announced on Friday that it has signed a contract worth $1.3 billion (€951 million) for the upgrade and expansion of the mobile network of Indian operator Bharat Sanchar Nigam.
"This agreement is expected to be a catalyst for future growth in telecommunications in the dynamic Indian market," said Mats Granryd, President of Ericsson India. Ericsson stated that it will deliver second-generation mobile network (GSM) and third-generation WCDMA/HSPA network equipment to the Indian company, as well as provide transmission equipment. Deliveries are set to begin in October, with the completion of the first phase of the project expected in 12 months.
In July, Ericsson announced that it had received a $2 billion order from Indian Bharti Airtel for the expansion of its telecommunications network into rural areas, which is the largest order the Swedish company has ever received. Analysts claim that India is just at the beginning of a telecommunications boom. With over a billion inhabitants, it is the fastest-growing telecommunications market in the world, where only 15 percent of the population owns a mobile phone compared to 36 percent in China, the second-largest developing market. (H)
