ZTE, Viettel ink UMTS network deal

Chinese equipment provider ZTE Corporation has announced it has partnered with Vietnamese military-owned telecoms operator Viettel to help build the company s UMTS network. Under the agreement, ZTE will supply its Soft Defined Radio (SDR) solutions to support the network rollout, which is slated for completion by September 2009. ZTE s partnership with Viettel to build its UMTS network in Vietnam lays a concrete foundation for our long-term cooperation with Viettel, said Qian Qiang, ZTE s general manager of its South East Asia operations. This agreement also further solidifies Viettel s leading edge in the mobile communications industry, including its fast business development in 3G network, enhancement of customer satisfaction and strong competitiveness to meet market demand, he added.
According to CommsUpdate, the company was awarded a licence to operate 3G services by the Ministry of Information and Communication (MIC) in April 2009, along with Vinaphone, MobiFone and a consortium between EVN Telecom and Hanoi Telecom, which will build and develop a 3G network together. The quartet were given three months to develop third-generation wireless services under the 15-year licences.