Zain Iraq has signed a $650 million, five-year network outsourcing agreement with network vendor, Ericsson.
Ericsson will optimise and manage Zain's IT operations and mobile network in Iraq, which includes more than 3,700 cell sites.
The deal includes Zain's newly established network in Kurdistan. The deal gives Ericsson its first major managed services agreement in Iraq.
Ericsson will replace and upgrade Zain Iraq's network by introducing a single-RAN platform and the latest "multi-standard and multi-band platform". The vendor said the upgrades would allow Zain Iraq to launch 3G services.
Nabeel Bin Salamah, CEO, Zain Group, said the agreement would put Zain Iraq in a better position to "support the evolution and growth of the Iraqi telecommunication industry".
