Motorola, Inc. (NYSE:MOT) today announced an agreement for HSxPA with MTC Kuwait to upgrade and expand the operator’s nationwide 3G/High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) network and to introduce advanced High Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA) to provide an enhanced mobile broadband experience for MTC Kuwait subscribers.
Under the agreement Motorola will deliver additional network infrastructure, integration and support services for MTC’s nationwide 3G/HSDPA network which will improve coverage both outdoors and in key public indoor locations. Motorola’s HSUPA solution will offer subscribers upload speed of up to 1.92Mbps making interactive and multimedia services faster. The network will also be upgraded with an IP backhaul solution that will enable subscribers to have faster access to rich content with peak download speeds of up to 7.2Mbps.
MTC Kuwait, an MTC Group operation, will utilize Motorola’s HSxPA technology, which combines the benefits of both HSDPA and HSUPA, to enable two-way, high-speed communications for business and consumer around such user applications as corporate network access, email exchange, social networking, video streaming, file sharing, online gaming, and web-conferencing.
The new deployment also signals the commitment of both MTC Kuwait and Motorola to the advancement of 3G adoption in the Middle East.
“With MTC Kuwait’s enhanced 3G/HSxPA network, subscribers will have access to even faster data download speeds and will be able to upload data more quickly. Sharing video files instantly or responding to work-related emails as soon as they come in are just some of the ways that MTC Kuwait’s customers will benefit from our agreement with Motorola whose advanced HSxPA technology has enabled us to successfully deploy our 3G network,” said Mr. Barrak Al Sabeeh, CEO of MTC Kuwait.
“This comprehensive nationwide HSxPA deployment, incorporating both HSDPA and HSUPA, is the first of its kind in the Middle East, providing greater mobility and connectivity for MTC Kuwait’s subscribers. We’re delighted to work with Motorola on further advancing the region’s 3G capabilities. After successfully supporting us in deploying our 3G/HSDPA network earlier this year, we are confident that Motorola’s superior solutions and services will continue to effectively support us,” Al Sabeeh added.
The expanded and enhanced MTC Kuwait 3G network comes at a time when mobile subscribers in the Middle East are seeking more bandwidth and higher data transmission rates and reduced latency. By opting for a comprehensive HSxPA solution, MTC Kuwait has found a cost-effective way to enhance the mobile broadband experience on its network while encouraging wider 3G adoption through the powerful ‘sharing’ capabilities enabled by rapid transmission of data between users.
“By expanding the 3G/HSDPA network and deploying Motorola’s HSUPA technology, MTC Kuwait will provide its subscribers with a richer mobile broadband experience,” said Ali Amer, vice president, Middle East, Africa and Pakistan, Motorola Home & Networks Mobility
“We anticipate that this first-ever HSUPA network in the region will spur increased adoption of 3G as users enjoy the benefits of receiving and sending data in a truly interactive way. Motorola fully supports MTC Kuwait in its efforts to improve subscribers’ professional and personal lives through rapid, high-quality communications offerings,” he added.
A portion of revenue on this contract was recognized by Motorola in the second quarter of 2007
About MTC Group
Mobile Telecommunications Company (MTC) is the pioneer of mobile services in the Middle East and now a major player in Africa. The company was established during 1983 in Kuwait as one of the region’s first mobile operators, and since the initiation of our “3x3x3” expansion strategy in 2003, we have expanded rapidly becoming the 5th largest company in the world with a footprint in 20 countries (soon 21 with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia).
As a leading mobile and data services operator in six Middle Eastern and 14 sub-Saharan African countries with over 13,000 employees, we provide a comprehensive range of mobile voice and data services to over 32.145 million active individual and business customers. MTC operates in Kuwait and Bahrain as mtc-vodafone, in Jordan as Fastlink, in Iraq as mtc-atheer, in Lebanon as mtc-touch, in Sudan as Mobitel and in 14 sub-Saharan countries in Africa as Celtel: Burkina Faso, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Kenya, Malawi, Madagascar, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. The Parent Company and its subsidiaries (the Group) provide mobile telecommunication services under licenses from Governments of the countries in which they operate; purchase, deliver, install, manage and maintain mobile telephone and paging systems; and invest surplus funds in investment securities. The Mobile Telecommunications Company KSC (the Parent Company) is a Kuwaiti shareholding company and its shares are traded on the Kuwait Stock Exchange. The Company’s share price as at July 11, 2007 was 4.460 Fils, giving a market valuation for MTC exceeding KWD 8.5 billion (US$29 billion). The authorized, issued, and fully paid up share capital of the Parent Company as at June 30, 2007 consists of 1,895,655,826 shares of 100 Fils each.1 USD = KD 0.28955.
For further information, please visit www.mtctelecom.com
About Motorola
Motorola is known around the world for innovation and leadership in wireless and broadband communications. Inspired by our vision of seamless mobility, the people of Motorola are committed to helping you connect simply and seamlessly to the people, information, and entertainment that you want and need. We do this by designing and delivering "must have" products, "must do" experiences and powerful networks -- along with a full complement of support services. A Fortune 100 company with global presence and impact, Motorola had sales of US $42.9 billion in 2006. For more information about our company, our people and our innovations, please visit http://www.motorola.com.
