Alcatel wins GSM contract

JAKARTA (JP): Alcatel of France has received confirmation from the state-owned PT Satelit Palapa Indonesia (Satelindo) to proceed with the implementation of phase two of its GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) digital cellular infrastructure deployment plan.

The French company announced yesterday that the project will cover 18 major cities and offer a capacity of 130,000 mobile telephone lines.

The project, worth around US$130 million, will encompass all GSM network elements such as a network subsystem, radio subsystem, billing and subscriber administration platforms, microwave transmission equipment and associated turnkey service, the company said in a statement.

The first phase of Satelindo's GSM facilities, also constructed in cooperation with Alcatel, is scheduled for commercial operation later this year.

Satelindo, 40 percent owned by state companies and 60 percent by private firms, provides telecommunication services including GSM, satellite broadcasting and international gateways.(hen)