AirTel USA Consortium Secures Agreement For Vietnam Nationwide Telecom Network
AirTel USA, Inc.,
leading a multi-national telecom consortium which includes Harrison Digicom,
Inc. and Lucent Technologies, announced today that it has reached agreement
in principal with the Vietnamese Government and National Telephone Company
of Vietnam (VNPT) to jointly build and operate a nationwide
telecommunications network throughout Vietnam, a country now with only 1.6
million telephones available to serve a rapidly growing population which
exceeds 78 million.
The network will utilize advanced wireless technologies, particularly CDMA,
to provide an extensive array of fixed and mobile services, including
Personal Communications Services (PCS). The network will also deploy
Wireless Local Loop (WLL), VSAT and ESMR systems, as well as high-speed
transmission and gateway facilities to expand Vietnam's national and
international communications.
Casey Freymuth, AirTel USA's Executive Vice President of Industry Relations,
reports that AirTel's partnership with the Vietnamese Government and VNPT
has been defined and the network project has received an endorsement from
the Prime Minister's office. ``We expect to commence installation of the
multi-phased network during the 2nd quarter of 1998 and begin serving
customers during the 4th quarter of 1998,'' says Freymuth. ``If network
implementation proceeds as planned and customer forecasts are realized,
approximately 10 million customers will be using the network by 2005.''
Freymuth explains that a key factor in the selection of AirTel by the
Vietnam Government has been the presence of Harrison Digicom, a pioneer in
Vietnam's telecommunications development. ``In 1992, Harrison's wholly owned
long distance operating company, TRANSPAC Communications, had a leadership
role in re-establishing direct international access to Vietnam. Harrison's
long-time commitment to this market has been the key to the consortium's
success.''
``The AirTel consortium now includes Lucent Technologies as our primary
strategic vendor,'' Freymuth reports, ``and we are continually seeking
strategic partners to expand and strengthen the AirTel consortium as we
focus on financial and implementation issues related to the network project.
This is a long-term, multi-US billion dollar undertaking within an emerging
country which has a solid economic foundation and is very well positioned
for sustained economic growth into the 21st century and beyond, and we're
reviewing and enhancing our plans on a real-time basis.''
AirTel USA is an international telecommunications infrastructure development
firm and operator specializing in wireless technologies. It maintains
offices in North America and Asia.
Company Press Release, December 23 1997
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