Ericsson supplies GSM 900 system in Democratic Republic of Congo (RDC)

Ericsson supplies GSM 900 system in Democratic Republic of Congo (RDC) Ericsson has signed a contract to supply a GSM 900 network to Celtel Congo S.A., a subsidiary of MSI Cellular Investments. It is the first contract for Ericsson in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The contract is valued at some 50 million USD. Deliveries include MSC (mobile services switching center), BSC (base station controller), BTS (base transceiver station) and microwave equipment. The system will provide capacity for some 150,000 subscribers. Roll out will be in three phases during this year. Ericsson is the supplier to MSI Cellular Investments in three other markets across Africa; Gabon, Sierra Leone and Chad. "Ericsson and MSI Cellular Investments share a strong belief in the potential for cellular communications in Africa. Cellular phones offer an excellent opportunity for local businesses to coordinate their operations and become more competitive," said Pekka Kokko, Ericsson's director for the Southern Africa market region. Ericsson is the leading provider in the new telecoms world, with communications solutions that combine telecom and datacom technologies with freedom of mobility for the user. With more than 100,000 employees in 140 countries, Ericsson simplifies communications for its customers - network operators, service providers, enterprises and consumers - the world over. Please visit Ericsson's Press Room at: http://www.ericsson.se/pressroom FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT James Borup, Ericsson Corporate Communications Phone: +46 8 757 5612; E-mail: james.borup@lme.ericsson.se Martin Hägerdal, Sales Manager, Business Management and Direct Markets Ericsson Radio Systems Phone: +46 8 404 71 84; E-mail: martin.hagerdal@era.ericsson.se Peter Carpenter, Commercial Director, MSI Cellular Investments Phone: + 44 20 7499 6022 About MSI Cellular Investments MSI Cellular Investments is a partner in GSM networks in ten African countries: Burkina Faso, Chad, Congo Brazzaville, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Gabon, Malawi, Sierra Leone, Uganda, and Zambia, and is bidding for further GSM licenses across Africa. There are currently some 40 GSM networks on air across the African continent, serving over 5 million customers. MSI Cellular Investments expects the number of customers to double next year and the number of GSM networks to more than double over the next three years. This makes Africa one of the most dynamic growth areas for mobile communications. In most African countries the number of mobile telephones will overtake the number of fixed telephones over the next few years. ------------------------------------------------------------ Please visit http://www.bit.se for further information The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/05/09/20000509BIT00950/bit0001.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/05/09/20000509BIT00950/bit0002.pdf