ZTE has been selected by Telenor Pakistan (TP) to provide an array of equipment for and assist in the construction of Pakistan’s turnkey 2G, 3G, and 4G national network upgrade and extension project.
As part of the project, ZTE will provide 18,000 network stations and corresponding CNs, VAS, bearer network, green power and supporting facilities. In addition to swapping the existing 7,500 GSM stations, it also will construct 1,500 GSM new base stations, 7,000 HSPA base stations and 2,000 LTE base stations. Construction will take place between 2012 and 2017. In 2012, ZTE will begin expanding and enhancing TP’s wireless network with the goal of achieving GSM, UMTS and LTE network upgrades and integration within 5 years.
ZTE also will provide full network operation management and end-to-end service network optimization services for TP. This will help the operator achieve significant improvements to network quality, allowing it to focus on its market operation services and enhancing its market share.
“Telenor Pakistan is extremely pleased to partner with ZTE on this network upgrade,” said Lars Christian Iuel, Telenor Pakistan, CEO. “As a long-term investor in Pakistan, we are eager to upgrade our network to meet the increasing customer needs. Telenor Pakistan looks forward to working with ZTE to ensure our customers receive superior network quality and next generation services.”
TP is Pakistan’s second-largest telecoms operator with more than 7,500 base stations and over 28 million users across the country. It is the largest fully owned subsidiary of the Norwegian Telenor Group, one of the world’s leading mobile operators.