Motorola wins GSM network deal with Mobily

Motorola has announced an agreement to implement Saudi Arabia’s second GSM mobile operator, ‘‘Mobily’’ (Etihad Etisalat Company), with a GSM Base-Station System (BSS) mobile network including Enhanced Data for GSM Evolution (EDGE) and Push-To-Talk over Cellular (PoC). This contract is a breakthrough for Motorola in Saudi Arabia and means the company now works with operators in almost all Middle East markets. Under the contract, Motorola will provide a turnkey Radio Access Network (RAN) for GSM and EDGE, including Horizon II base stations. The network will cover parts of the Western, Southern and Northern regions of Saudi Arabia, and in addition to providing traditional voice services, ‘‘Mobily’’ (Etihad Etisalat Company) will be able to offer subscribers walkie-talkie style communication using Motorola’s PoC solution. By offering PoC services, ‘‘Mobily’’ (Etihad Etisalat Company) will be able to benefit from additional revenue streams, while providing its subscribers with quick one-touch access to their friends, family and colleagues. Commenting on the announcement, Mr. Khalid Al Kaf, the Chief Executive Officer of ‘‘Mobily’’ (Etihad Etisalat Company) said: “We were seeking a strong revenue-generating solution to enhance wireless service offerings and delivery for our customers. We chose Motorola to help advance our mission to provide Saudi Arabians with quality telecommunications services, including its latest innovations such as Push-To-Talk over Cellular.” Margaret Rice-Jones, corporate vice president Motorola Inc. and region management Motorola Networks EMEA added: “Saudi Arabia is a high growth market for mobile telecommunications. Our collaboration with ‘‘Mobily’’ (Etihad Etisalat Company) will help deliver ground-breaking services to subscribers. The smooth running of the network is clearly central to the successful delivery of these services.” With the ‘‘Mobily’’ (Etihad Etisalat Company) contract, Motorola’s global PoC infrastructure solutions continue to gain traction, reaching 25 contracts in 29 countries. Deployment of ‘‘Mobily’’ (Etihad Etisalat Company) network is taking place throughout early 2005. Motorola has over 30 years of experience working throughout the Middle East.