Shenzhen -based telecom equipment maker Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. announced it has landed an exclusive contract from Etisalat to build a nationwide WCDMA/HSPA network in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Huawei will supply approximately 1,000 WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access) base stations to help

Etisalat build the WCDMA/HSPA (High Speed Packet Access) network.

Etistat's network will cover all seven emirates in the UAE, including capital Abu Dhabi and the international hub of Dubai.

The network will be the first HSPA network based on Iub IP transmission in the Middle East and northeast Africa, Huawei said.

Privately owned Huawei, China's leading telecom equipment maker, has been working with Etisalat since December 2003 for the launch of its commercial 3G services in the United Arab Emirates.

"The network has a significant strategic implication to Etisalat. It sets the ground for global expansion of our 3G network development," Nasser Salim, general manager of Etisalat Network Planning, was quoted as saying in Huawei's statement.

The new generation of Huawei UMTS equipment adopts a high-efficiency power amplifier and multi-carrier technologies and supports all features of HSPA and Internet protocol (IP) transmission which will effectively improve overall network performance, according to Huawei.

The company said the distinctive technology advantages of IP RAN (Radio Access Network) and HSPA have helped it to stand out from the other six companies in the tender process.

Etisalat and Huawei have been working on other projects in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. As of October 2006, Huawei has won 35 UMTS/HSPA commercial contracts worldwide. Its products and solutions are deployed in more than 100 countries and serve 24 of the world's top 50 operators.

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