Malaysia's Maxis Telecommunications Bhd. will seal a deal to buy communications equipment worth millions of dollars from Finnish mobile phone giant Nokia to expand operations, The Edge newspaper said.
The Edge said Maxis had agreed in principle to award a multi-billion ringgit deal to Nokia for a project to expand and upgrade Maxis's existing Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) 900 network.
With Nokia's new infrastructure, Maxis would become a next generation mobile phone operator by offering General Packet Radio Services (GPRS).
GPRS enables the transmission of data through mobile phones and computers at much higher rates of between 56 and 114 Kilobits per second, the business newspaper said.
The Edge said the deal was aimed to put Maxis, the country's second largest mobile operator, ahead of its rivals.
Citing telecommunications sources, The Edge said the project would cost Maxis $700 million and "will be the most expensive deal of its kind in Southeast Asia."
The Nokia equipments would replace Maxis' existing network which was supplied by US mobile communications company Motorola, it said.
The Edge said with Nokia's equipment, Maxis would be able to expand its operations to the East Malaysia states of Sabah and Sarawak on Borneo Island.
Currently, mobile telecommunications in East Malaysia have been dominated by Telekom Malaysia and Technology Resources Industries' Celcom. — (AFP)
© Agence France Presse 2000
© 2000 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
