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Turk Telekom Chooses Avici RoutersBy DAVID SIMS Avici Systems has announced that Turk Telekom, the thirteenth largest operator in the world, has chosen Avici Systems' TSR core routers for deployment in its IP/MPLS-based data backbone network. This is part of Turk Telekom's ongoing project to provide new high-quality services to business and residential customers throughout Turkey. Hey, when you're being considered for admission to the European Union, a bit of sprucing up is in order. The prime contract was awarded to Alcatel in response to a request to provide an end-to-end solution to Turk Telekom. Alcatel will have turnkey responsibility for network design and planning, integration, deployment, training, service rollout and on-going maintenance. This network upgrade and expansion will enable Turk Telekom to meet ever-increasing customer demand for such services as high-speed Internet access, Voice over IP, Virtual Private Networks and video. Turk Telekom owns most of Turkey’s fixed line telecoms infrastructure and has more than 19 million wireline subscribers, and was slated for privatization this summer with the sale of a 55% stake. Analysts estimated the sale could fetch the Turkish government as much as $5 billion.
Yet given the fact that the word “Byzantine” arose in this country, this reporter, who currently lives on Turkey's Mediterranean coast, understands why the adjective so richly applies to Turkish state asset sales. A score of European telecom companies who were interested all pulled out of the bidding process, leaving only Telecom Italia SpA as the last potential strategic bidder from the European continent. In September the government finally agreed to sell a 55 per cent stake in Turk Telekom to a group led by Saudi Arabia's Oger Telecom for $6.5 billion, but currently everybody's waiting for Turkey's top Administrative Court to rule on an appeal by labour unions against the planned sale. David Sims is contributing editor for TMCnet. For more articles by David Sims, please visit: |