Telecom Americas hasn?t yet made the final decision on who will do what for its new PCS network and GSM overlay on existing TDMA networks, but well-informed observers say it?s a safe bet that the choice will fall on Ericsson, Siemens and Alcatel. Ericsson will get the lion?s share, installing the core of the entire network, especially switches, and base stations in Rio de Janeiro and Espírito Santo, covered by group company ATL. Siemens is expected to win contracts for base stations in Santa Catarina, Paraná (for which Telecom Americas has D-band licenses) and possibly Rio Grande do Sul, via Claro Digital. The same punters believe Alcatel will be called in to install the group?s new E-band base stations in Bahia and Espírito Santo, as well as Americel?s overlay (B band in the Center-West).
São Paulo State, the most important area of all, could go to either Siemens or Ericsson, sources say. Ericsson is the stronger contender for the interior, covered by Tess, since it supplied the B-band carrier?s TDMA network. Whichever wins the contract for metropolitan São Paulo, it will entail construction of a new network from scratch. Thus Telecom Americas will operate under its PCS license for E band and won?t be acquiring BCP (B band), as predicted in some quarters until very recently.
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