Telecom signs Chinese deal

TELECOM Namibia this week signed a revised contract with a Chinese company for the supply, installation and commissioning of equipment to improve telecommunication services and the existing fixed wireless technology in Namibia.

The contract signed in Windhoek with Huawei Technologies will see the country’s sole fixed phone company receiving equipment known as the CDMA 2000 system at a price of N$44 million. It will be installed at about 34 sites in major towns and selected settlements across Namibia.Telecom’s Managing Director Frans Ndoroma and Albert Yang of Huawei signed the contract.Huawei won the tender for the construction of Namibia’s new CDMA network last year.”The network will be deployed by Telecom to provide intelligent services and an improved end-user experience by delivering a broad range of multi-media services to customers,” Telecom’s spokesperson, Oiva Angula, said yesterday.He said the improved services associated with the new technology would include faster data processing, clearer communication and no delays or interruptions during communications.This new network will allow the use of cordless phones that have an operating radius of 45 kilometres from a base station.Angula said customers would also be able to send SMS messages to fellow cordless phone owners through the CDMA 2000.He added that when an agreement was signed with Mobile Telecommunications Namibia (MTC), customers would be able to exchange SMS messages with cellphone owners.A supplier in the fixed wireless access field, Huawei Technologies has deployed its CDMA 2000 system in over 30 countries including a number of African countries such as Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Mauritius.It will be installed at about 34 sites in major towns and selected settlements across Namibia.Telecom’s Managing Director Frans Ndoroma and Albert Yang of Huawei signed the contract.Huawei won the tender for the construction of Namibia’s new CDMA network last year.”The network will be deployed by Telecom to provide intelligent services and an improved end-user experience by delivering a broad range of multi-media services to customers,” Telecom’s spokesperson, Oiva Angula, said yesterday.He said the improved services associated with the new technology would include faster data processing, clearer communication and no delays or interruptions during communications.This new network will allow the use of cordless phones that have an operating radius of 45 kilometres from a base station.Angula said customers would also be able to send SMS messages to fellow cordless phone owners through the CDMA 2000.He added that when an agreement was signed with Mobile Telecommunications Namibia (MTC), customers would be able to exchange SMS messages with cellphone owners.A supplier in the fixed wireless access field, Huawei Technologies has deployed its CDMA 2000 system in over 30 countries including a number of African countries such as Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Mauritius.