Level 3 and Saudi Telecom Enhance Connectivity and Support Online Content Demand Growth Across the Middle East - STC expands 4G services
20 March 2012 | Robert Anderson
Saudi Telecom Company (STC) has expanded its 4G network using TD LTE technology from Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) to upgrade its GSM and 3G infrastructure.
The operator faces fierce competition from rival, Mobily, with both companies initiating almost simultaneous LTE launches in September 2011.
NSN is one of several vendors to be selected by STC for the roll-out of 4G technology and will build one third of the network. Other vendors involved in the roll-out include Alcatel-Lucent and Ericsson.
“STC is our long-standing partner and we are delighted to bring 4G services to its subscribers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Our expertise in 4G technology and strong services support helped STC deliver on its plans to modernise its nationwide network and roll-out 4G services faster,” said Bernard Najm, Saudi Arabia country head at NSN.
NSN will provide 4G infrastructure across 2,500 STC sites over the next two years, including its FlexiPacket Microwave transport medium for STC’s GSM, 3G and 4G networks.
As part of the deal, NSN will also upgrade STC’s NetAct network management system, to improve monitoring and management of network operations.
Saudi Arabia has one of the world’s highest mobile population rates at 221.3% with an estimated 57.76 million mobile subscribers. STC holds the highest mobile market share at 44.6%, with rivals Mobily at 36.9% and Zain at 18.2%.
STC plans to cover 65% of Saudi Arabia with its LTE network by the end of 2012, and 95% by the end of 2014.
capacitymagazine.com
***********************************************************************************************************************
Below is a press release that's just over a year old. It appears Level 3 has a strong relationship with Saudi Telecom. The merger with Global Crossing should lead to additional opportunities in the region because of the new reach of the company's services.
***********************************************************************************************************************
Level 3 and Saudi Telecom Enhance Connectivity and Support Online Content Demand Growth Across the Middle East
February 28, 2011 03:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time
LONDON--( BUSINESS WIRE)--Level 3 Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ:LVLT) today announced a strategic long-term agreement with leading Middle East telecommunications operator Saudi Telecom (STC) to enable international IP and content distribution services in Saudi Arabia and across the Middle East.
“We’ve worked hard over the years to build out our international connectivity, and this agreement with STC is an important next step in expanding that connectivity even further into a region where we see a lot of potential for growth.”
The agreement leverages the respective strengths of each company to provide significantly enhanced connectivity and breadth of services to customers connecting to the Middle East. Both US and European CDN customers will have access to a new broadband market in the Middle East and content customers in the Middle East will have the ability to distribute their content across both STC’s and Level 3’s international networks.
“With the largest international network in the Middle East and Africa, Saudi Telecom is the only Middle East operator today that has international connectivity by way of both multiple submarine cable systems and a terrestrial cable system via the recently launched Jeddah-Amman-Damascus-Istanbul (JADI) link,” said Saad Demyati, Saudi Telecom’s vice president of Wholesale Business Unit. “Our relationship with Level 3 allows us to offer the reliable, high-quality global connectivity and end-to-end solutions our customers increasingly demand, with the unique benefit of access to a fully redundant and scalable Tier 1 network.”
In addition, Level 3 is providing STC with increased IP connectivity in the form of multiple 10 Gigabits per second (Gbps) ports at various points of presence (PoPs) across Europe.
"Leveraging STC’s terrestrial connectivity in eight Middle Eastern countries, combined with the broad reach of Level 3’s international IP and CDN networks, we’re able to expand our offerings to new and existing customers around the world,” said James Heard, president of European Markets at Level 3. “We’ve worked hard over the years to build out our international connectivity, and this agreement with STC is an important next step in expanding that connectivity even further into a region where we see a lot of potential for growth.”
Level 3 has a strong history of commitment to Middle East service providers. Through its existing PoP site in Marseille as well as more than 300 other PoP locations across Europe, Level 3 allows for greater connectivity to the Middle East and Africa as well as more reliable and scalable IP network services. To learn more about Level 3’s global services, please visit www.level3.com/index.cfm?pageID=675.
businesswire.com |
