Armenian alternative broadband operator UCOM has selected Astellia – a provider of network and subscriber intelligence solutions for 2G, 3G and 4G networks – to help it provide the fastest 4G service possible in the country. In a press release, the vendor said: ‘Astellia will help UCOM solve technical issues they might face when deploying their LTE services, guarantee top 4G user experience from day one, ensure smooth network expansion and rapid return on investments. Astellia’s Nova 4G monitoring solution will empower UCOM to optimise their 4G network in real-time and guarantee excellent voice and data service right from service launch.’
Commenting on the plan, Hayk Yesayan, the chief executive of UCOM, said: ‘We are confident that with Astellia by our side our customers will benefit from top quality 4G services.’
Last month, UCOM – which earlier this year completed the merger and reorganisation of Orange Armenia – signed a contract worth USD12.29 million with Ericsson Nikola Tesla for the further expansion of its in-deployment LTE radio access network. The deal includes a capacity increase of the service provider’s core network, improved functionality and the modernisation of the legacy 3G system. According to TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database, in March this year UCOM signed a contract with Ericsson worth around USD6 million for the supply of the first instalment of its new LTE network – part of a USD20 million spend this year alone, to purchase radio equipment for the new system. Ultimately, the cellco’s 4G network will cover more than 95% of the Armenian population, with initial base stations being deployed in Yerevan and the regions. It has set aside around AMD131.7 billion (USD270 million) for CAPEX in the three-year period 2016-2018, of which AMD38.3 billion will be spent in 2016, AMD44.1 billion in the second year of the programme and AMD49.3 billion in the third. UCOM hopes that around 340 new jobs will be created under the scheme.