East wins €100m 3G network contract

MDR

Esat BT has signed a deal worth over €100 million with 3 in the Republic of Ireland to build and operate its 3G radio access network.

3 is the Irish arm of Hong Kong based conglomerate Hutchison Whampoa, which also holds 3G licences in the UK and a number of other countries.

Esat BT will be responsible for building and operating all elements of the radio access network, which will include carrying out the radio planning, site acquisition and construction and setting up of the transmission network.

*rays wonders aloud what effect Esat will have on pricing, a negative one prolly*

Link to the original article

spongebob

Originally posted by MDR
*rays wonders aloud what effect Esat will have on pricing

You told us the effect Ray. ESAT will shortly have a National Wireless covering the main population centres and contigous areas network and towers where they currently only have a National fibre network doing so.

M

blorg

This looks like Hutchinson/3 are just contracting EsatBT to build and operate the network - Hutchinson would be setting pricing, marketing, contracting with end-users, etc. It is Hutchinson's network, not EsatBT's, EsatBT won't 'have' anything (except the contract).

thegills

There's nothing unusual about this. It's similar to Digifone (O2) contracting Nortel and Siemens to build their n/w and Meteor contracting Lucent and Siemens. Of the e100M a lot will go to the equipment provider as Esat will only build the network. They probably clinched the deal as they can offer a good deal on the fibre backhaul.

spongebob

Originally posted by thegills
They probably clinched the deal as they can offer a good deal on the fibre backhaul.

And the Wireless SDH element as well .

M

thegills

And the Wireless SDH element as well

What do you mean Muck? I know Esat have some FWA access nodes similar to what eircom have for providing basic services to customers to far from an exchange.

Esat have no sites.

spongebob

I meant that they have a contract that would oblige them to provide more of same. They should already have such a service in these areas detailed Here , Page 10

BTW TheGills, did you ever ask for a service in ANY of the twns in page 9 of this Doc Here and what were you told then ?

M

jesus_thats_gre

Whats the point of sticking this in this forum?

Its simply a case of Three outsourcing the implementatin and maintenance of their UMTS network to Esat.... I wouldnt have thought thats a big deal? Hutchinson will own the network and I doubt Esat will be using it to piggy back their service on in any way. As mentioned, Meteor used Lucent and Siemens to do both and Vodafone still use Eircom for alot of their stuff.... I am guessing a major reason for Three selecting Esat would be the fact that that can share sites with O2 who are well connected to Esat.