L.M. Ericsson signed three contracts valued at $223 million to expand Global System for Mobile communications and Total Access Communications System mobile networks in China. The first contract, signed with the Guangxi Posts and Telecommunications Administration of Guangxi Province, includes equipment to expand both the GSM and TACS networks. After these expansions, scheduled to be completed by August and October 1998, respectively, the total capacity of the province’s mobile networks is expected to serve more than 800,000 subscribers, said Ericsson. The second contract, signed with the Chongqing Telecom Administration of Chongqing City, will increase the capacity of the GSM network in that city to 400,000 subscribers. The expansion will be implemented by the first half of 1998. Ericsson said it signed the third agreement with the Sichuan Posts and Telecommunications Administration of the Sichuan Province. The GSM network expansion project in that province is scheduled to be completed in early 1998, bringing total capacity of the network to 500,000 subscribers, added the Stockholm,Sweden-based manufacturer.
Turkcell, a Global System for Mobile communications cellular operator in Turkey, announced it has reached the 1 million subscriber milestone. The company recorded a 220 percent increase in subscribers this year, after less than four years in business. LHS Group Inc. provides billing and customer care to Turkcell.
Moody’s Investor’s Service Inc. said it assigned a (P)Aaa rating to Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp.’s Yen 1 trillion Japanese shelf registration. The rating service noted NTT’s “dominant position in Japan’s expanding telecom market, its excellent research and development capacity and its vital ongoing role in providing the infrastructure for Japan’s transition to a more service-oriented economy.”
Orange plc launched a new price plan called Chat 60, which gives customers 60 inclusive minutes of talk time per month during off-peak hours. The company said the service is designed for people who are less likely to use their mobile phone at work and more likely to use it during off-peak hours. Orange’s off-peak times include weekdays after 7 p.m., weekends and bank holidays.
Saville Systems Inc. announced it opened a third European office in Wiesbaden, Germany, to support telecom service providers in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Eastern Europe. The convergent billing and customer care system company has offices in London, Singapore, Ireland, Miami and Canada. Saville said it has several contracts with European telecom service providers, such as AT&T UK, GlobalOne, Barak I.T.C., Matav, EnerTel and Energis.
