Nokia Siemens Networks is now responsible for constructing a third of Saudi Telecom Company’s (STC) 4G network, after the operator extended an existing deal covering the TDD variant of the technology.
The infrastructure firm will expand STC’s current commercial 4G network, which it also constructed, and upgrade the operator’s existing GSM and 3G networks, under a deal announced this morning. The 4G deal covers 2,500 sites, which will be built over the next two years, while the 2G and 3G element also includes network implementation and project management.
Zeyad Thamer Al-Otaibi, chief executive for technical operations at STC Group, says the deal boosts the current long-standing partnership with NSN, and will enable the operator to “deliver a differentiated experience to our customers.”
STC’s local vice president of networks, Bandar Mohammed Al Qafari, adds the network upgrades and 4G deployment are essential, as “more and more subscribers [use] bandwidth-intensive applications for smartphones and USB dongles.”