Safaricom Chooses Huawei to Provide Next Generation Convergent Billing Solution

Huawei, a leader in providing next-generation telecommunications network solutions for operators around the world, announced that it was awarded a CBS frame contract by Safaricom in East Africa after 2 years of hard effort. Upon completion, this project will enable Safaricom to reduce network complexity and shorten time for launching new services.

With the development of telecom business, operators face the problem of product homogeneity. Thus high quality of customer service and experience become key to retaining customer loyalty. Huawei' s CBS is a convergent billing solution based on the next-generation independent rating and billing engine. Through this solution, operators can construct horizontal and open network architecture. The solution supports various infrastructure networks and services and provides online rating, real-time control and express billing, thus greatly shortening time to market.

"Safaricom is the first operator that has deployed the CBS in East Africa, which will enhance our competitive advantage and continue our leading innovation for the mobile market throughout the East African region," said Michael Joseph, CEO of Safaricom.

Li Zheng, Vice President of NGBSS (Next Generation Business Support Solution), Huawei, said "As part of Huawei' s All-IP convergence strategy, our CBS can reduce new service TTM from months to days and enable Safaricom to construct an open, flexible and convergent network and shorten time for new service launch. We firmly believe that the collaboration between Huawei and Safaricom would help consolidate the operator' s leading position in East Africa and bring more advanced services to its subscribers."

To date, the Huawei CBS has been adopted by top operators including China Mobile, China Telecom, Vodafone, ETEtisalat, MTN, and KPN/Telfort. It has been deployed by more than 90 carriers in 50 countries, serving more than 400 million subscribers.


About Safaricom

About Safaricom formed at the turn of the decade followings the liberalization of Kenya' s telecoms sector as a joint venture between global leader Vodafone of the UK and the government of Kenya, Safaricom has firmly established its credentials as a regional leader, spawning a virtual telecoms revolution in Kenya.

Growing from its cradle in mobile voice services, Safaricom has evolved into a total telecoms company. The firm, which has a subscriber base of over 16 million, offers all communications services under one roof: mobile and fixed voice and data services on a variety of platforms: Kenya' s widest 3G network; a growing fibre optic cable footprint and WIMAX technology.

For more details please go to: http://www.safaricom.co.ke/