Alcatel and Telemar Sign $275 Million Contract for GSM 1800/GPRS Network in Brazil - Brief Article

Wireless Internet, Sept, 2001

Alcatel announced it has signed a $275 million contract with Telemar, a telecommunications operator in Brazil, to provide a turnkey GSM 1800/GPRS network.

The agreement is for the entire management of the project, including network planning and implementation, site acquisition, and construction as well as network operation and maintenance. The network will be deployed in Brazil's northern region, covering more than 70 cities in the states of Piaui, Ceara, Maranhao, Para, Amazonas, Amapa, and Roraima.

Under the contract, Alcatel will supply Telemar with its Evolium solution, composed of its radio access network (base stations and base station controllers) and mobile switching centers, together with Alcatel's microwave radio systems. The Evolium solution will allow Telemar to connect both its mobile- and fixed-communication subscribers using the GSM technology.

In addition, Alcatel will supply its complete GPRS end-to-end solution including a GPRS core network infrastructure. The Alcatel's GPRS network and services are a natural part of the migration path to 3G. Alcatel will also provide its worldwide-proven carrier-grade voice messaging solution for the entire Region 1 (Amazonas, Roraima, Para, Amapa, Ceara, Piaui, Paraiba, Maranhao, Rio Grande do Norte, Pernambuco, Alagoas, Sergipe, Bahia, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, and Espirito Santo) by Telemar's license.