Telecom service provider Vodafone Essar on Wednesday announced that it had finalised equipment maker Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) and Ericsson for deploying and managing its countrywide 3G network infrastructure.
According to the contract, the two vendors will enable swift 3G deployment, create synergy between GSM and 3G networks and maintain high speed packet access (HSPA) networks in the circles where Vodafone had bagged 3G spectrum, Vodafone said in a statement here.
Vodafone has spectrum to offer 3G services in nine circles across the country, including in Delhi and Mumbai. While Ericsson has been selected to provide exclusive 3G services in Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata, NSN will implement and manage its 3G network in the balance six circles of Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh (East), rest of Bengal and Haryana.
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Vodafone will utilise this latest HSPA technology to deliver services such as video telephony, mobile broadband, mobile TV and others.
“India is now ready for 3G and we are committed to offer high-quality 3G services to our Indian customers. Ericsson and Nokia Siemens are specialists in this area and we view this as a strategic alliance to deliver and maintain a high quality network which customers will expect from Vodafone,'' Vodafone Essar Managing Director Marten Pieters said in a statement.
Telcom service providers who had bagged 3G spectrum in the auctions held this year have started selecting vendors for deploying their networks.
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Recently, the country's largest telecom service provider, Bharti Airtel, has awarded the contracts for its 3G network infrastructure to Ericsson India, NSN and Huawei Technologies. Tata Teleservices had selected Chinese vendor Huawei as its 3G network partner.