Azerbaijan’s telecom operator Azercell, a part of TeliaSonera group, has signed 2G/3G network expansion deal with Ericsson.

Ericsson will assist Azercell, which has more than 4 million subscribers with 54 percent market share, for the network transformation of over 1,000 2G/3G sites.

Deploying Ericsson’s RBS 6000 portfolio, the network transformation project is expected to be completed in one year.

Azercell will benefit as Ericsson’s MINI-LINK microwave backhaul and associated core network expansions will result in increased coverage and network performance leading to improved customer experience.

Chiril Gaburici, CEO, Azercell, said: “The need to keep up with constantly changing consumer demands led us to make the largest yearly network investment we have made since we started operations in 1996.”

The investment is important for Azercell as Azerbaijan is becoming a hub for IT and telecom.

Pardun Oguz, head of Ericsson Azerbaijan, said: “The RBS 6000 portfolio provides cost-effective deployment and a future-proof evolution in capacity and functionality. Azercell will be able to maintain stable, high-quality network performance, delivering high-quality connections and services.”

Recently, Ericsson has deployed a pilot 4G network for the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 in the capital city, Baku, for which Azercell was one of the sponsors.

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