Are we spotting a trend here. Nokia Siemens is certainly not letting any grass grow under their feet. They've been in the news every days for two or three weeks now. I haven't posted every single story, but those are some busy folks. Here's a story about what they're doing in India, one of the vital geographies in the digital economy.

Speedy Internet access: Nokia Siemens Networks expands BSNL’s network

Espoo, Finland / New Delhi, India, June 6, 2007

Nokia Siemens Networks has won a contract to modernize the network of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), India’s largest carrier. The new access network’s high bandwidth will ensure that BSNL’s customers can use data-intensive applications with the highest quality and without long waiting times. In a first step BSNL will supply 283 cities in 17 Indian states with 800,000 new high-speed connections based on Carrier Ethernet technology from Nokia Siemens Networks. BSNL will roll out six million connections with the option of an additional three million in the next three years.

The Indian carrier Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), headquartered in New Delhi, has concluded a turnkey agreement with Nokia Siemens Networks to modernize its access network in 17 Indian states. By the end of July 2007, Nokia Siemens Networks will integrate Gigabit Ethernet-capable IP DSLAMs (Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexers) in the carrier’s network and also supply the end-user devices required for subscribers.

A main distinguishing feature of Nokia Siemens Networks’ technical solution is that VDSL and ADSL2+ cards can be provided in a single chassis, enabling BSNL to respond very flexibly and on demand. In addition, the high density multi-service access solution supports up to 1152 ports in a single chassis, thus providing cost savings for space and power.

BSNL will provide a total of six million new DSL connections (ADSL2+ and VDSL) with the possibility of three million more over the next three years and use them to offer its customers multimedia services such as high-speed Internet, IPTV, games and video on demand.

The agreement will run for a term of three years and comprises installation and commissioning. Training for BSNL’s technicians and annual maintenance will be supported for five years.

About Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (BSNL)
BSNL, a Government of India-owned corporation, is the incumbent and largest telecommunications services provider in India with a pan-India footprint but for Delhi and Mumbai. It has a network of over 60 million subscribers covering 5000 towns with over 35 million telephone connections. The corporation is an integrated telecommunications service provider with presence in the fixed line, cellular mobile, long distance and data segments with over 35 million fixed line, 24 million cellular mobile and 3.9 million Internet subscribers including 0.9 million broadband customers. To know more about BSNL, please log on to http://www.bsnl.co.in

About Nokia Siemens Networks
Nokia Siemens Networks is a leading global enabler of communications services. The company provides a complete, well-balanced product portfolio of mobile and fixed network infrastructure solutions and addresses the growing demand for services with 20,000 service professionals worldwide. The combined pro-forma net sales of €17.1 billion Euro in fiscal year 2006 make Nokia Siemens Networks one of the largest telecommunications infrastructure companies. Nokia Siemens Networks has operations in some 150 countries and is headquartered in Espoo, Finland. It combines Nokia’s Networks Business Group and the carrier related businesses of Siemens Communications.
www.nokiasiemensnetworks.com