Lagos (IT News Africa) —Zain Nigeria has extended it’s contract with Nokia Siemens Networks to expand it’s 4000 km nationwide fiber backbone network as it looks to consolidate and grow its share of market in Nigeria.
The operator said it has, following the successful project to build a 4000 km nationwide fiber backbone network, extended its contract with Nokia Siemens Networks to handle implementation of an additional 600km.
“Our aim is to create wide capacity for Nigeria ’s growing number of customers demanding high quality broadband services by deploying self owned fiber,” said Zain Nigeria’s Chief Operating Officer, Khaled Khorshid.
“Following the initial project with Nokia Siemens Networks that was completed four months ahead of schedule, we knew they had the high standards and commitment to meet our delivery expectations. The benefit of a quick deployment is the significant revenue stream the new capacity generates for us, in addition to high savings as a result of reduced fiber leasing costs.” Khorshid said.
Zain has already profited from the efficient roll-out of Phase 1 resulting in savings of close to US $ 7 million.
Nokia Siemens Networks said its Outside Plant Turnkey Solution for fixed networks offers a fast, cost-effective and efficient way to build a fiber optic network and helps operators launch their network on time and on budget.
“Our in-house expertise helped us accelerate the initial project resulting in significant commercial benefit to Zain Nigeria ,” added Ahmed Othman, Head of Customer Business Team at Nokia Siemens Networks.
“The additional fiber will allow Zain to maximize the quality and security of their network, putting them in a powerful position to emerge into Nigeria’s leading telecommunications service provider. Building upon an association that spans a decade, we are looking forward to propelling them to further new heights.”
Awarded the initial project in November 2007, at Zain’s request, Nokia Siemens Networks successfully sped up the project’s preliminary deadline of June 2009. Meeting all benchmarks on execution and quality, Nokia Siemens Networks completed Phase 1 of the project by end February. Post an internal audit that showed excellent feedback on the competence and delivery of the initial project, Zain chose to extend its contract with Nokia Siemens Networks for Phase 2.
Phase 2 will extend the fiber optic backbone by another 600 km and will be delivered completely within a timeframe of six months.
Zain is a leading telecommunications operator across the Middle East and Africa providing mobile voice and data services to 64.7 million active customers as at 31 March 2009. In terms of country footprint, Zain is the
3rd largest mobile operator in the world with a commercial presence in 24 countries.
Zain operates in such countries as Bahrain, Burkina Faso, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Malawi, Madagascar, Niger, Nigeria, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.
Okoro Chinedu
