To: BILL L who wrote (25686 ) 9/11/1998 10:04:00 PM From: SalmonMan Read Replies (2) | Respond to of 50264
Lucent Technologies to help expand Egypt's telecommunications infrastructure FOR RELEASE: THURSDAY DECEMBER 04, 1997 CAIRO, EGYPT --- Lucent Technologies has been selected by Telecom Egypt to participate in the expansion of Egypt's telecommunications network, which will double telephone ownership in the country over the next five years. Under the agreement, Lucent will deploy switching and wireless access technologies, and provide project management expertise to Telecom Egypt. Telecom Egypt will spend up to $300 million on the expansion, which is called the "Golden Pyramid" project. The project will enhance telephone services, especially in greater Cairo, but also in the city of Alexandria, as well as the Nile Delta and Upper Egypt regions. From another site on the region's telecommunications future: With 65% of the world's known oil reserves, the Middle East is a highly strategic region with advanced telecommunications needs. This region will add over 3 million new telephone lines in 1997, and almost 4 million in 1998. Countries such as Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, Egypt and Turkiye are leading the transition towards liberalisation and competition, promising increased opportunities for vendors as new service providers are created, and established operators invest to become more competitive. Meanwhile, the wealthy states in the Gulf region continue to demand the latest in state-of-the-art technologies. The Middle Eastern countries covered in this report encompass some 280 million inhabitants and generated a total GDP of $694.2 billion in 1996.Sounds like JC has a few large blocks to add to the construction of that "golden pyramid." Jeff