As competition among telecom networks scales new heights, Orange Uganda has selected Alcatel-Lucent to build, operate and maintain their mobile network to reduce on maintenance costs and improve network operating efficiencies.

This full-managed services contract is the first ever in Uganda as well as in east africa.

Philippe Luxcey, CEO of Orange Uganda Ltd. “Our goal is to focus on our core business, and Alcatel-Lucent helps us achieve this by providing a comprehensive maintenance services portfolio, global delivery capability, and strong technical skills we need to help us deliver enhanced services more reliably to our customers.”

Vincenzo Nesci, president of Alcatel-Lucent’s activities for Africa and the Middle East. “As a trusted partner, Alcatel-Lucent is helping Orange Uganda address maintenance and operational challenges by providing extensive technical know-how from world-class experts, a global logistics and repair network and a flexible suite of business models.”

Orange regards the Ugandan market as “fast-paced and highly competitive”. Therefore, a business deal of this nature is bound to enable Orange to have an edge over the already established telecom giants, MTN which currently boasts of over 100 million subscribers in africa. Orange hopes to have a 1 million subscribers by the end of 2009.