India's Hutchison again selects ECI's optical platform

August 10, 2005 Petah Tikva, Israel -- ECI Telecom announced today that Hutchison Essar, one of India's top mobile operators, has selected ECI's optical networking platform in order to perform wireless backhaul services. As one of the major suppliers of equipment for the operator's network expansion, ECI has already supplied its XDM optical multi-service provisioning platform (MSPP), its BroadGate µSDM-1 miniature SDH multiplexer, and its LightSoft network management system.

The operator says its network consists of 13 "circles" spanning thousands of kilometers across India. Under the terms of the contract, ECI has installed its XDM platforms in every circle, deploying new networks in the majority of the areas, and upgrading existing networks to SDH in others. The network covers key regions and metropolitan areas throughout India; the operator claims to currently possess a significant market share of India's 50 million wireless subscribers, a market that's growing by approximately 2 million subscribers each month, according to the operator.

The operator says it selected ECI's optical XDM platform for its ease of planning, installation, and use, as well for as the equipment's reliability and the company's speed of response to the operator's needs. ECI has been supplying the operator with optical networking platforms since 1998.

"Building on our 7-year relationship, we have chosen ECI Telecom to help us expand our nationwide network," comments Naresh Gupta, group CTO of Hutchison Essar. "ECI has proven time and again that it delivers technologically advanced, highly reliable, and cost-effective optical solutions that meet our growing needs."

"This order and the growth of our relationship with Hutchison Essar, one of Asia's largest and most respected mobile operators, is an endorsement of our XDM product line's perfect suitability for building wireless networks," concludes Aviel Tenenbaum, president of ECI Telecom's Asia Pacific Regional business unit. "ECI Telecom prides itself on delivering a superior quality solution with a strong local presence in India, tailored to meet our customers' most demanding needs."