Siemens gets EDGE deal in Thailand
April 29, 2004
Thai mobile operator AIS places an order for EDGE technology and expansion of its GPRS network worth 30 million US dollars
Thailand's largest mobile communication provider Advanced Info Service PCL (AIS) has chosen Siemens Information and Communication Mobile (Siemens mobile) to supply EDGE technology. This technology will enable AIS to offer its customers an initial range of 3G mobile communication multimedia services. Siemens mobile has now received no fewer than ten orders for EDGE technology from mobile communication providers. The order is part of the nationwide expansion of the AIS GSM/GPRS network and has a total value of around 30 million US dollars.
Under the terms of the order, Siemens mobile will first equip the AIS mobile communication network in the cities of Chonburi, Pattaya, Nakornratchasrima and Khon Kaen with EDGE technology. This will allow AIS to provide an initial range of Internet Protocol (IP)-based 3G multimedia services such as video streaming. Siemens mobile will then proceed to expand the GSM/GPRS network operated by AIS across the whole of the country. This expansion will raise AIS GPRS network capacity from the current figure of 600,000 subscribers to approximately two million subscribers. Delivery and installation work is already under way and should be completed by the end of July this year. Siemens mobile has already equipped the AIS network in Eastern and Northeastern Thailand with GPRS technology.
"The promise of a rapid rollout for EDGE was a major factor in our decision to select Siemens as our supplier for this technology as well. Now we will be able to offer our customers an initial range of 3G services during the course of this year," explained AIS President Yingluck Shinawatra.
"This second success in Asia, which is our tenth order worldwide, further consolidates our position as one of the world's leading EDGE suppliers," affirmed Karl-Christoph Caselitz, President of Networks at Siemens mobile.
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