E-Plus, ZTE ink managed services deal

Chinese telecoms equipment supplier ZTE Corporation has announced the signing of a managed services agreement with E-Plus, Germany’s third largest network operator by subscribers. Under the five-year contract, the vendor will be responsible for building, operating and maintaining the E-Plus network, while the mobile operator will retain ownership over the infrastructure and maintain control over strategic network planning and development. ‘We can take advantage of the synergies available as ZTE not only supplies the equipment but also builds and operates the E-Plus network,’ said Andreas Pfisterer, chief technology officer at the E-Plus Group, adding: ‘ZTE is a perfect partner for successfully implementing our network strategy and with the transfer of network operation we take our partnership to the next level.’ The E-Plus Group has been working with ZTE since 2009 to expand its UMTS network and upgrade its core network, while in February this year the company contracted ZTE as its supplier and partner for the expansion of its LTE network.