AIRCOM Optimises GSM and WiMAX for WARID Telecom in Uganda.

LEATHERHEAD, England & AFRICACOM CAPE TOWN, South Africa -- AIRCOM International today announced that it has been chosen by WARID Telecom in Uganda to provide network planning and optimisation support for its existing GSM and WiMAX networks. WARID will use AIRCOM's market-leading ASSET network planning and optimisation tool to enhance the design, management and performance of both networks, providing improved quality of service to customers while significantly reducing network costs through professional network planning.

WARID Telecom chose ASSET on the strength of its reputation as the world's most-deployed network optimisation tool, along with WARID's own previous experience working with AIRCOM's suite of network products. AIRCOM will also provide consultancy support and training to WARID's engineering teams to ensure a seamless integration and ongoing use of the tools within the network.

"Warid Telecom Uganda is operating in a very competitive and dynamic market; having an in-house planning tool like ASSET from AIRCOM minimizes our dependency on vendors in terms of rollout/expansion planning and helps us maintain a first-class quality network," said Danish Hussain, Head of Engineering - Warid Telecom Uganda. "Keeping in view our current and future planning requirements for GSM and WiMAX, AIRCOM proved to be the best solution for us. The ASSET tool helps us achieve these goals and we look forward to continuing to work closely with AIRCOM as we grow our subscriber base and continue to deliver the highest levels of service to our customers."

"Our strategy is to ease communication by providing the best possible service in an affordable way, as well as the right solutions to meet Uganda's growing telecommunication needs. We are confident that our operation in Uganda will act as a benchmark for new trends, state-of-the-art technology, unparalleled quality of service and customer care that is a class apart in the industry. Careful Network Planning and Optimisation using world-proven tools like ASSET is central to achieving that strategy," said Zul Javaid, Country General Manager.

"WARID Telecom has been hugely successful in delivering market-leading mobile services and connectivity in Uganda," said Graham Kemp, MD, Africa, AIRCOM International. "Now as WARID prepares to roll out WiMAX services across the country, AIRCOM is delighted to be able to contribute to this ongoing success and growth with expert consultancy and insight, and also market-leading tools such as ASSET."

The ASSET with WiMAX tool from AIRCOM enables the planning and management of both fixed and mobile WiMAX networks and is fully compliant with the 802.16e WiMAX standard. Operating in a multi-user environment, it can generate sophisticated reports and statistics on network performance and can also plan WiMAX in great detail, while looking after other network technologies such as GSM, UMTS and HSDPA.

About AIRCOM International

AIRCOM International is a leading independent provider of end-to-end network optimisation consultancy and tools for IP and cellular networks. AIRCOM specialises in fields such as network planning, sharing, outsourcing and OSS.

Working with many the worlds' largest operators, AIRCOM leverages its objectivity to view network quality and efficiency from the consumers' perspective. This enables its consultants and engineers to track market behaviours and trends to ensure networks achieve optimum performance.

Headquartered in the UK with offices in 18 countries, AIRCOM has more than 10 years' experience across 131 countries for half of the world's mobile operators, including more than 3.45 million hours working on 3G networks alone. It continues to grow its customer base each year, offering objective yet pragmatic advice, training and support services, backed by high-performance tools designed to deliver real benefits for both subscribers and operators.

www.aircominternational.com

About Warid Telecom

Warid Telecom International, a part of the Abu Dhabi Group Consortium (the "Abu Dhabi Group"), is a telecommunications group that was set up in 2004 to acquire, own and operate telecom assets in the emerging markets of Asia and Africa. WTI now operates in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Uganda and the Republic of Congo.

The Abu Dhabi Group is one of the largest United Arab Emirates based group of investors actively participating in investment activities in regions like the Middle East, Asia and Africa. The group has investments in various sectors including banking and financial services, oil and gas exploration, hospitality services, automobile industries, property development and telecommunications.