Mobile Malaysia

today announced it has signed a multi-million Euro contract with

's first mobile operator, to expand Celcom's GSM mobile network and upgrade it with an advanced Mobile Next Generation Network (Mobile NGN) solution.

Alcatel said in a statement that the Mobile NGN solution will substantially increase Celcom's ability to provide new multimedia services to its subscribers with optimised costs.

The contract covers both radio access network and IP-based NGN solutions. Alcatel will also provide services such as network audit and optimisation to improve network performance.

As a key element of the Mobile NGN solution, Alcatel is providing Celcom with its new generation Home Location Register (ngHLR). The HLR is the repository for all subscriber information and functions as the "knowledge centre" in a network.

Once the project is completed, Celcom will be able to improve the quality of the mobile service it offers customers across the Malaysian peninsula as well as Sabah and Sarawak, expand coverage in urban areas, and address previously underserved rural areas.

"Our next generation network solutions are based on open standards and are software upgradeable which means we can enhance the quality of networks such as Celcom's today and then upgrade them quickly and efficiently to meet the needs and demands of customers tomorrow," commented Datuk Yusof Ampuan Kechil, Managing Director of Alcatel in Malaysia.