Nokia Siemens Networks has announced that the company has signed a network expansion agreement with China Mobile to expand the mobile telephone network of China Mobile.

The agreement involves about CNY5.5 billion. According to this agreement, Nokia Siemens Networks will assist China Mobile in the designing, building and maintaining of the company's radio and core network in the major provinces and cities across China and offering solutions of the operating support system.

A representative from Nokia Siemens Networks told First Financial Daily that this agreement is the result of China Mobile's open tender for GSM expansion in the first half of 2008. The contract is signed by equipment suppliers with the provincial branches of China Mobile separately.

Zhang Zhiqiang, head of Nokia Siemens Networks Greater China Region says that they are glad to continue their strategic cooperation with China Mobile to help the company meet to provide high quality service to customers. This agreement represents the strengthening of Nokia Siemens Networks' position as a leading solution provider to China Mobile.

The tailored and optimized network designed by Nokia Siemens Networks will help China Mobile to minimize the required network capital expenditure, gain a roadmap for network evolution and achieve full potential of the product for the best possible network performance, which will enhance operations and processes as well as China Mobile's competitiveness.

Headquartered in Espoo, Finland, Nokia Siemens Networks is a leading global enabler of communications services. The company provides a complete, well-balanced product portfolio of mobile and fixed network infrastructure solutions and addresses the growing demand for services with 20,000 service professionals worldwide. Nokia Siemens Networks is one of the largest telecommunications infrastructure companies with operations in 150 countries.