Alfa and NSN to rollout Lebanon’s first 3G trial network

Alfa, Lebanon’s second GSM operator, has signed a memorandum of understanding with Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) to roll out the country’s first 3G trial network, to go live by June this year.

The network will cover universities in the greater Beirut area as part of a University Cooperation Programme, and will include coverage of the American University of Beirut, ESIB University and the Universite Libanaise. The programme aims to raise awareness among university students of 3G services, and will terminate on December 31, 2009.

NSN will provide the required 3G radio equipment, sponsor the marketing campaign, and coordinate with the universities and other related parties to launch the programme.

State-owned Alfa started a one-year management contract with Egypt’s Orascom Telecom, from February 1. Orascom is charged with increasing the number of Alfa’s mobile subscribers from 600,000 at the end of 2008 to one million by the end of this year. Alfa’s competitor MTC Touch is managed by Kuwait’s Zain under a similar contract, and had 800,000 customers as of December last year.