Telecom Italia Sparkle and Orascom announced today the signature of an agreement to provide Orascom mobile subsidiaries with the ability to reach more than 600 mobile operators throughout the world.
Telecom Italia Sparkle announced today the signature of an agreement with leading international telecom carrier Orascom Group to provide the Egyptian Carrier's mobile subsidiaries with full-featured inter-carrier Signalling Connection Control Part (SCCP) transport of their signalling traffic from international roamers. The agreement includes protocol conversion between the GSM-ITU and GSM-Ansi industry standards and involves Wind Italy, Mobinil Egypt, Mobilink Pakistan, Djezzy Algeria, Tunisiana Tunisia, Banglalink Bangladesh, Telzim Zimbawe, Iraqna Iraq, Telecel Benin, Telecel Burundi, Telecel RCA, Libertis Congo, Oasis RDC, Telecel Gabon, Telecel Togo, Telecel Zimbawe, Telecel Niger and Utel Uganda.
The signing of the agreement marks the first step in the establishment of a strong cooperation between the two telecom carries in the Mediterranean basin. The Telecom Italia Sparkle Global Signalling service will give Orascom subsidiaries the ability to reach more than 600 mobile operators throughout the world, so increasing dramatically their Voice, SMS roaming and Interworking revenues. Moreover, TI Sparkle Global Signalling enables Mobile Operators to outsource their signalling activities so that they can focus more strongly on their core business.
Telecom Italia Sparkle is a world-class player in the signalling market with almost 15 years experience in the SS7 business and more than 220 direct interconnections with international carriers. The Carrier has been recently designated as official representative of Signaling Providers within the AMRG group, an Executive GSMA Group in charge of defining GSMA guidelines about Strategies,Public policy and Marketing activities.
Stefano Mazzitelli, Telecom Italia Sparkle CEO, said "We are very pleased to provide Orascom group with TIS Global signalling coverage and ITU/Ansi protocol conversion service for their end subscribers' roaming and SMS signalling traffic. This agreement marks an important step for TI Sparkle in strengthening the already excellent relationship with Orascom Group and confirms the leadership role in this strategic geographical area. We are sure that thanks to this cooperation Orascom will be able to provide its customers the most reliable and qualitative service on the market, thus increasing its Voice and SMS revenues".
Emad Farid, COO of Orascom Telecom Holding stated "We are satisfied of our choice, TI Sparkle's appointment as Signalling and ITU/ANSI conversion provider for all seven Op.Co's of the Orascom Telecom group was the result of a very accurate selection among the most important players on the market. The expertise of Telecom Italia Sparkle on the signalling field will ensure Orascom Telecom's customers the highest quality standard of international roaming services' worldwide".
TI Sparkle
Telecom Italia Sparkle, a wholly owned subsidiary of Telecom Italia SpA, was established on January 1st, 2003 with the objective of developing and consolidating the Italian Group's international wholesale and retail business.
Telecom Italia Sparkle is global player and a full service provider, offering a complete range of solutions spanning voice services, mobile services, IP, bandwidth and managed data services for fixed-line and mobile operators, ISPs and, in synergy with Telecom Italia, for multinational corporations. Telecom Italia Sparkle also offers a wide range of Consulting Services.
Telecom Italia Sparkle means networks, technological platforms and a worldwide commercial presence, in order to provide the best cost, top performance services to the main players of the international telecommunications market.
The company runs a proprietary, advanced and global-reaching international network made up of three regional systems, deployed in Europe, the Mediterranean Basin and Latin America, in order to guarantee the availability of its own infrastructure in those areas where Telecom Italia Sparkle is concentrating its commercial focus.
About Orascom Telecom
Orascom Telecom is a leading international telecommunications company operating GSM networks in seven high growth markets in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia, having a total population under license of approximately 460 million with an average mobile telephony penetration of approximately 26% as at 31st December 2006.
Orascom Telecom operates GSM networks in Algeria ("Djezzy"), Pakistan ("Mobilink"), Egypt ("Mobinil"), Tunisia ("Tunisiana"), Iraq ("Iraqna"), Bangladesh ("Banglalink"), and Zimbabwe ("Telecel Zimbabwe").
Orascom Telecom had over 51 million subscribers as at December 2006. Orascom Telecom owns 19.3% of Hutchison Telecommunications International Limited, a leading telecommunication services provider operating in eight countries. Orascom Telecom is traded on the Cairo & Alexandria Stock Exchange under the symbol (ORTE.CA, ORAT EY), and on the London Stock Exchange its GDR is traded under the symbol (ORTEq.L, OTLD LI).
For further information, please contact
Gabriella Improta
Telecom Italia Sparkle
Marketing Wholesale Services- Marketing Communications
Email: gabriella.improta@telecomitalia.it