Velcom places Siemens order

Mobile operator Velcom has placed an order with German equipment supplier Siemens for 270 dual-band GSM-900 and GSM-1800 base stations. The new infrastructure will allow Velcom to expand coverage to 34 new towns and also facilitate the phased introduction of GPRS. Formerly known as Mobile Digital Communications, Velcom launched its GSM-900 network in April 1999, having been awarded its licence the previous year. At the end of March 2004 it had 710,000 subscribers, up from 410,000 at the end of 2002.