Ericsson is currently implementing a contract signed in March to expand its GSM 900/1800 MHz network for Lao Telecom to meet the growing number of Laotian mobile telephone subscribers.
The network expansion would result in full coverage of the whole of Vientiane as well as the upper North of the country. The contract was estimated to be worth US$7.6 million or about 300 million Thai baht.
The network expansion will give Lao Telecom a capacity of up to 250,000 phone subscribers.
Ericsson has been the main supplier to Lao Telecom from the beginning when Lao Telecom first started its analog network in the early 1990’s, supplying the main switch (MSC), Base station Controller (BSC), the radio base stations (BTS) as well as a large number of wireless transmission equipment (Minilinks).
Lao Telecom is the joint venture of the government of Lao People’s Democratic Republic which holds a 51% stake and Shinawatra International Plc which possesses the rest 49% stake. It operates both land-line and mobile phone services, leases lines and provides Internet services in Lao People’s Democratic Republic.
Mr. Santibhan Chartikavanij, Vice President of Ericsson (Thailand) Ltd. said at the contract ceremony in March that Ericsson is proud to be part of the success of Lao Telecom which has been continuing for the past 10 years.
“Ericsson (Thailand) sees the importance of expanding its markets in Indochina. We are confident of our end-to-end telecommunication expertise which is present in over 140 nations worldwide,” Mr. Santibhan said.
