Zain Outsources Management of Nigerian Fiber Backbone Network

­Zain Nigeria has announced that it recently signed a managed services and care contract with Nokia Siemens Networks, which came into effect in the past few days. The contract covers the network operator's fiber backbone network, not the mobile network.

As part of this agreement, Nokia Siemens Networks will provide managed services for Zain's multi-vendor Fiber and Dense Wave Division Multiplexing "DWDM" network in Nigeria which is 4000km long countrywide outside plant network.

"This is our first outside plant managed services contract in Africa and therefore provides us with the opportunity to demonstrate our leadership and success in managed services in the region. This agreement is also a reiteration of the close relationship we share with Zain that is based on trust and our ability to exceed customer expectations. We are confident that we will raise the standards for network reliability and connectivity for mobile customers in Nigeria," says, Ashish Chowdhary, Head of Services, Nokia Siemens Networks.

Financial terms were not disclosed.

Based on numbers from the Mobile World subscriber tracker, Zain ended June with around 14.6 million customers and a market share of 22%. This puts it in third place in the market, behind MTN (41%) and Glo (24%).

On the web Zain Nigeria - Mobile World

Posted to the site on 22nd October 2009