Alcatel-Lucent wins outsourcing contract from Telenor

Norwegian mobile operator Telenor Group has awarded a five-year outsourcing contract to Paris-headquartered Alcatel-Lucent for managing three GSM networks in western and southern India.

Telenor, which provides telecom services in India under the 'Uninor' brand, did not disclose the financial terms.

Under the contract, Alcatel-Lucent will offer managed services to Telenor Group's wholly-owned subsidiary Telewings Communications Pvt Ltd across three circles - Gujarat, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh - and covers over 257 million people, Telenor said in a release.

Telenor, through Telewings Communications had won spectrum in six circles - Gujarat, Bihar, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh east, Uttar Pradesh west and Andhra Pradesh – in November.

Alcatel-Lucent will deploy established standards-based network performance tools and expertise to improve and transform existing networks.

''India is a competitive market when it comes to Average Rate per User (ARPU). Service providers such as Telenor in India are focused on enhancing network operations efficiency and in turn end consumer user experience. Telenor understands this and is therefore bringing in Alcatel-Lucent's world class expertise to help them address it,'' said Rajeev Singh-Molares, President, Alcatel-Lucent Asia Pacific.

''Telenor Group appreciates this partnership done with Alcatel-Lucent in India. This establishes a platform for further innovative operating models in India and for taking those learnings and practices in other markets across the Group,'' said Hilde Tonne, Executive Vice President Group Industrials Development Telenor Group.

This will enable Telewing to provide quality services, with Bell Labs, the research organisation of Alcatel-Lucent, providing expertise on network and business modelling.