Mobilink Selects Motorola to Deploy Its WiMAX Network in Pakistan
Motorola to deliver cost effective high-speed broadband infrastructure and
services to connect the unconnected
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Dec. 5 / / -- Motorola, Inc.
(NYSE: MOT) today announced an agreement with long-standing customer Mobilink
(an Orascom Telecom Company) to deploy a WiMAX 802.16e-2005 access network for
the operator in Pakistan. Under the terms of the agreement, Motorola will
design, plan, deploy and optimize a WiMAX network for Mobilink, deliver
integration and support services as well as indoor and outdoor customer
premises equipment (CPE) units to enable faster adoption of the operator's
WiMAX offering.
Covering major metropolitan areas such as Lahore and Islamabad, the new
Motorola-based 802.16e-2005 WiMAX network will enable Mobilink to extend its
current service offering beyond cellular and data offerings to high speed
broadband and VoIP services for fixed line residential and business
subscribers. This is Motorola's second WiMAX 802.16e network in Pakistan,
with the first being a turnkey end-to-end nationwide WiMAX/IMS network awarded
in 2006. This is also Motorola's fourth commercial WiMAX deployment in the
Middle East and Africa region, which further reinforces Motorola's regional as
well as global leadership.
"Over the last 14 years of our collaboration, Motorola has developed a
solid understanding of Mobilink's business strategy and has effectively
supported us in growing our subscriber base to almost 30 million subscribers
with reliable and innovative GSM technology solutions. As we adopt new
technologies to meet evolving customer needs, we wanted to work with a trusted
wireless broadband solutions provider. Motorola was a natural choice to
support us in designing and deploying our 802.16e WiMAX network in Pakistan to
offer our growing customer base next-generation broadband services," said
Zouhair Khaliq, president and CEO, Mobilink.
The benefits of the WiMAX network to Mobilink's customer base will include
rapid broadband access in geographic areas where broadband coverage was not
previously available. WiMAX is anticipated to offer affordable broadband as
well as a convenient end-user solution with unified pre-paid billing.
"Today's announcement with Mobilink and Orascom Telecom for WiMAX
highlights both the long-term viability of this solution and the vibrancy of
Pakistan's communications sector. We are proud to be building on our long
relationship with Mobilink in Pakistan with the deployment of WiMAX, a
technology that is set to have a transformative effect for Mobilink and its
customers, providing unprecedented wireless broadband speed and accessibility. This is another example of Motorola's continued commitment to bringing the
latest technology to Pakistan, from delivering the first GSM network in 1994
to the country's first nationwide WIMAX 802.16e network in 2006. This second
Motorola WiMAX 802.16e network in Pakistan, delivered to our long-standing
customer Mobilink, further reinforces the confidence of our Pakistan-based
customers in Motorola's technology and services," said Ali Amer, vice
president sales, Middle East, Africa and Pakistan, Motorola Home & Networks
Mobility.
This Mobilink WiMAX agreement is the culmination of 14 years of
collaboration between Motorola and Mobilink and builds on Motorola's regional
and global leadership in WiMAX. Motorola is involved in more than 55 WiMAX
engagements, including 43 active trials, with customers in more than 35
countries around the world and has contracts with 14 of them for commercial
WiMAX systems.
The total amount of the purchase price will be financed by Motorola.
About Mobilink
Mobilink is an Orascom Telecom Group company and is Pakistan's leading
cellular service provider with a subscriber growth of 104% in 2006. The
company has achieved an unprecedented customer base of over 29 Million.
Mobilink provides the most extensive network coverage footprint across
Pakistan through an integrated technology infrastructure in more than 5,000
cities, towns, villages, and countless remote destinations, including
international roaming in 127 countries through 300 partner operators. The
company directly employs over 4,000 people and has the largest distribution
network with 200,000 outlets across Pakistan. Mobilink's corporate social
responsibility program contributes significantly in key areas of health,
education, social uplift and cultural development causes in Pakistan. The
company is the official cellular service of the Pakistan Cricket Board.
Mobilink is the only corporate in Pakistan to issue a 'high-yield' bond worth
US$ 250 million in the International Market and has contributed to a positive
image of the country as a secure destination for business activity.
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 $42.8 billion in 2006. For more information about our company,
our people and our innovations, please visit www.motorola.com.
MOTOROLA and the stylized M Logo are registered in the US Patent &
Trademark Office. All other product or service names are the property of
their respective owners. (C) Motorola, Inc. 2007. All rights reserved.
SOURCE Motorola, Inc.
/CONTACT: Lamia Jaroudi of Motorola, +97143081356, lamia@motorola.com; or
/Web site: www.motorola.com/NSS
www.motorola.com /
CO: Motorola, Inc.; Mobilink
ST: Pakistan
IN: CPR CSE TLS NET
SU: JVN LIC