Nokia Siemens Networks showcases best in-class product portfolio in Beirut

Assuming a leading position in the communications industry, Nokia Siemens Networks builds on existing customer relations in an attempt to connect 5 billion people by 2015.

The meeting attracted high level management, decision makers, as well as technical level audience from OGERO, in addition to high level representatives of the Ministry of Telecom in Lebanon.

Commenting on the potential partnership with Lebanon's key telecom providers, Dr. Abdallah Tourbah, Country Director for Lebanon, Nokia Siemens Networks said,

"Nokia Siemens Networks is set towards a leading position in the communications infrastructure industry. With an already established presence in the Lebanon market, we look forward to capitalize on our global presence to support our partners in Lebanon to meet the challenges of connecting the increasing number of telecom users in Lebanon and the Middle East."

"At present, we enjoy a strong relationship with Lebanon's leading fixed telecommunication provider, Ogero, and are eager to provide them with our expertise, industry know-how and our best in class product portfolio to retrieve the leading position in the Middle East that Lebanon used to have," added Dr. Tourbah.

OGERO's role today includes the operations, maintenance, sales, marketing, billing and management of the Ministry of Telecommunication fixed network in Lebanon. It offers its products and services on one of the very advanced telecommunications platform in the Middle East.The network reaches 95% of the Lebanese territory and serves more than 650 000 subscribers.

Director General and the Chairman of Ogero telecom, Dr. Abdel Monem Youssef said, "We are extremely pleased with Nokia Siemens Networks' dedicated customer service team, a broad product portfolio and a strong working history in providing best in class technology to the Lebanese market."

"We highly value and appreciate Nokia Siemens Networks commitment toward Lebanon over the last years despite the local conditions. This drives us to support heavily its role in the country and we always look forward to work side by side with Nokia Siemens Networks for setting together the plans for future evolution of our network infrastructure," added Dr. Youssef.

Dr. Youssef also emphasized on the network enhancement plans that OGERO are currently working on, stressing on building a state-of-the art MPLS-enabled IP-network that offers an optimized utilization of the available network bandwidth.

Furthermore, Dr. Youssef showed a great interest in the future Fixed Mobile Convergence concept and the Next Generation Networks based POTS by which OGERO can make a huge leap towards All-IP network. This will prepare OGERO's network to support a wide range of attractive end-user services and will bring down enormously OGERO's Operational Expenditures.
Moreover, this will defenitely position OGERO as one of the most modernized networks in the region.

"Discussions on the deployment of the NGN based POTS already started with Nokia Siemens Networks, and we highly on the wide experience of Nokia Siemens Networks in NGN deployments that extends to more than 90 customers worldwide," Dr. Youssef added.

Director General for Equipment and Construction at the Ministry of Telecommunication Mr. Naji Andrawos added "We see Nokia Siemens Networks as partner where we are working as one team achieving the best to the telecommunication users in the country."

Nokia Siemens Networks builds on the rich research and innovation strength of its parent companies. It will have one of the world's best research and development teams, focused on advancing the development of best-in-class products for next-generation fixed and mobile network solutions. In 2006, the R&D team that is now part of Nokia Siemens Networks demonstrated the world's first Long Term Evolution (LTE) radio access solution. In fixed access, research teams were able to transmit data at a rate of 10 gigabits per second via an optical access network, which is four times faster than the rate previously possible.