Huawei Technology has become the largest telecom services
equipment supplier for the haj, the company said yesterday.
Haj is the world's largest annual religious pilgrimage, with
more than 2 million Muslims from across the world expected to
gather in Mecca this year.
This is the third consecutive year that China's largest telecom
services equipment supplier has got a contract in Saudi Arabia for
the haj.
Meeting the pilgrims' demand is a big challenge for telecom
operators. The total telecom traffic volume during last year's haj
rose 30 percent, with the peak traffic volume being 19 times higher
and the number of text messages and handoffs increasing 137 and 118
times, Huawei said.
The Shenzhen-based telecom company beat other rivals in switch
systems, base stations and network services to become the largest
supplier and partner of Saudi Telecom Company.
The network and equipment provided by Huawei have performed
smoothly in the past two occasions. Huawei entered the Saudi Arabia
market in 1999.
Altogether 10,804 Chinese pilgrims have reached Mecca to perform
the pilgrimage, according to China Islamic Association.
(China Daily via Xinhua News Agency December 18,
2007)
