Vodafone's new network roll out done in ten months

MUMBAI, INDIA: Vodafone Essar has completed a rapid service expansion into seven new regions across India.

People living in or traveling to Assam, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, North East and Orissa will now be able to use services provided by India’s second largest GSM operator.

Nokia Siemens Networks, Vodafone Essar’s existing infrastructure partner in 12 regions, undertook the new network roll out in just ten months.

As it shares in a press release, the planning and building of the seven networks was undertaken as in the first phase of a three year expansion contract awarded to Nokia Siemens Networks in 2008. Further expansion will carry on through 2010.

With this, Nokia Siemens Networks claims a strong track record in speedy network roll out, and in India alone it sets up 5,000 base stations a month. And it tags itself to be the largest network implementation partner for Vodafone in India, with more than 80 per cent of Vodafone’s subscriber traffic in the country flowing through infrastructure set up by Nokia Siemens Networks.

“We are proud to partner with Vodafone Essar as it charts an aggressive growth strategy and are committed to helping it realize its goals,” said C B Velayuthan, head, Vodafone Customer Team, Nokia Siemens Networks. “India’s vast geography and varied topology, in addition to the acute power shortage in remote areas, make network expansion a challenging task. Our Flexi Base Station and services capabilities are the ideal solution for service providers who want to achieve more, with less.”