Thursday, August 24 2006 17:32 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Stockholm: Swedish telecom group Ericsson today (Aug 24, 2006)said it had won an order worth about US$ one billion from India's Bharti Airtel to expand and upgrade its mobile network.

"Bharti Airtel has awarded Ericsson an estimated one-billion-dollar contract, including expansion and an upgrade of its GSM/GPRS network and managed services," the company said in a statement.

"Under the three-year services agreement, Ericsson will design, develop and deploy Bharti's network, including capacity and coverage. After completion Bharti will be able to reach all towns and cities in 15 regions," the statement added.

Bharti Airtel is one of India's leading private sector providers of telecommunications and internet access services.