Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) and Micran, a producer of microwave telecommunication and measurement equipment, announced last week that Micran’s plant in Tomsk, Siberia had produced its first base stations for LTE networks.
These universal base stations can also be used for 2G and 3G networks. NSN’s ambition is to capture a 30% share of the domestic market, which could represent up to 60,000 units by 2015. The total production capacity of the plant, which targets both the domestic and foreign markets, is expected to reach 100,000 units per year, according to an announcement issued jointly in September.
Under agreements signed earlier this year by NSN and Micran, the share split in this joint venture is 75%-25% in favor of Nokia Siemens Network.
Tomsk was chosen for its advantageous geographic location. It is close to China, from where many components are imported, and is just 200 km away from Novosibirsk, a major transport hub. Tomsk also counts 100,000 students among its 500,000 inhabitants and offers a qualified workforce for relatively low wages, explained Kristina Tikhonova, the General Manager of NSN Russia.
Source: ComNews.ru
