Huawei Scores in Ethiopia

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia -- Huawei Technologies, a global provider of telecoms infrastructure, announced today that it signed a contract with Ethiopian Telecommunications Corporation (ETC) on Dec. 25, 2003 to provide a total solution to optimize ETC's current national switching network. The project will cover the whole country including one international gateway exchange and 8 toll exchange offices in each regional center. Total contract value has exceeded 20 million US dollars.

Under the contract, ETC will deploy Huawei's C&C08 switches and its proven POTS, ISDN, Centrex, Prepaid, Internet Access solution in this project covering the whole country. C&C08 switches will replace ETC's existing analogue switches and some out-dated legacy digital switches. When completed, the project will greatly optimize the current ETC switching network and improve its network efficiency.

"All together nine vendors took part in the bidding process. Huawei won the project because it has provided the right solution for us, which not only optimizes our current network and solves our existing problems but takes into consideration our future network development such as how to evolve to NGN. Their customized solution deeply impressed us. Last but not the least, their service to its current equipment running on our network has been so good that we think Huawei is the right partner for us," said Mr.Kibret Alemayehu, Deputy Managing Director of ETC.

"Leveraging a win-win strategy and the comprehensive understanding of ETC's existing network, Huawei has offered a customized proposal with Intelligent Network, Multi-service, Security and IP solution, which will finally enable to evolve to NGN," said Tang Qibing, Director of Huawei Int'l Fixed Network Product Dept. The completion of the project will greatly improve ETC's legacy network and help ETC to bring more value-added services to its clients.

Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd.

Ethiopia Telecommunications Corp.