ISLAMABAD, May 28: Pakistan Telecommunication Company (PTCL) has signed two agreements with M/s ZTE Pakistan and M/s Alcatel Pakistan. Under these agreements the projects would cost Rs1,379m for expansion of NDW Transit (national network), local exchanges, improvement of Universal Internet Access, Mobile coverage, international gateway exchanges to expand and improve PTCL services and installation of 240,000 new telephone lines.

According to a PTCL press release a formal signing ceremony was held at the PTCL headquarters on Tuesday. Noor Uddin Baqai, Member Technical, PTCL, signed the agreement on behalf of PTCL while APL Chief Executive Saeed A. Mirza represented M/s Alcatel and CEO Cao Xiao Ping signed the agreement on behalf of ZTE. PTCL chairman Akhtar Ahmad Bajwa and other high-ranking officials were also present on the occasion. M/s ZTE would supply (hardware software), installation, testing and commissioning into service of exchanges equipment for 240,000 lines and 7,000 ISDN Basic Rate Interface (BRIs) digital exchanges on Turn-key basis with new software version which is latest software.

Total value of the contract inclusive of supply, delivery at site, installation, testing and commissioning into service would be Rs1,136 million.

The contract with M/s Alcatel would take into account various technical requirements based on the latest technical specification for the supply, installation, testing and commissioning into service of switching equipment.

The total value of the contract with Alcatel inclusive of supply, delivery at site, installation, testing and commissioning into service of the switching equipment as mentioned above in various E10 B exchanges shall be Rs243 million to provide 32,000 trunks in PTCL national network.

The installation will be completed by September 2002 with much improved network quality overcoming traffic congestion.