NSN Wins Big in Russia

9:30 AM -- News comes today of a confidence-boosting deal for Nokia Networks in Russia, where mobile operator MegaFon has just awarded the vendor a whopping three-year, €320 million (US$466 million) contract for 2G, 3G, and packet core infrastructure, and a range of integration and support services.

NSN had a tough start to its life in 2007 but showed signs of leaving its growing pains behind it in its fourth quarter. This sort of deal will add to the joint venture's growing sense of stability. (See Nokia Siemens Ramps in Q4.)

NSN doesn't have MegaFon's network expansion deal all to itself, though: It's sharing the spoils with Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. (See Megafon Chooses 3G Vendors.)

MegaFon isn't the only Russian operator turning to NSN for its network needs. (See NSN Wins MGTS Deal, Comcor-TV Deploys NSN, and Nokia Siemens Wins in Russia.)

— Ray Le Maistre, International News Editor, Light Reading