Ericsson appointed main supplier by GSM operators in Nigeria

LONDON—Sweden’s Ericsson was appointed the main supplier by all three GSM operators in Nigeria.
These contracts follow on from the recently granted GSM licences to EWN (Econet Wireless Nigeria), Nitel and MTN. The deals with the Nigerian operators will allow Ericsson to strengthen its position as a vendor of wireless infrastructure in the fast-growing African market.
Ericsson will install turnkey GSM 900 MHz and 1800 MHz networks including switching, radio base stations, new service features, prepaid and civil works. The contract work spans a period of five years. Network deployment has already begun and the first sections of the GSM networks in Nigeria will be operational this month.
Against a backdrop of scarce and unreliable fixed-line services, Nigeria has accumulated a huge demand for better telecommunications. With a 125 million inhabitants and an anticipated 5 million to 10 million subscribers in the next five years, Nigeria is potentially the largest market in Africa and constitutes a significant percentage of the continent’s telecom business.