Bayan inks new frame deal with Ericsson for DSL solutions

Bayan Telecommunications Inc. (Bayan), one of the country’s leading telecommunications operators and digital subscriber line (DSL) providers, has announced a forthcoming new frame agreement with Ericsson for the provision of Ericsson’s Ethernet DSL Access (EDA) solution to support high broadband subscriber growth in the country.

Under the new agreement, Ericsson will continue to provide a comprehensive portfolio of services to Bayan, which include the supply, delivery, installation, integration, staff training, testing and commissioning of Ericsson’s EDA solution, within the agreed time frame.

To date, Bayan is one of Ericsson’s biggest customers for its EDA solution in Southeast Asia. Bayan and Ericsson are presently finalizing the new IP DSLAM frame agreement.

"We’ve experienced phenomenal growth in the number of our DSL subscribers and we expect to double our subscriber base in 2007," Tunde Fafunwa, Bayan chief executive consultant, said.

"The reliability of Ericsson’s equipment and solutions for our DSL services has given us an edge over local competition. We are currently the only Philippine operator to offer a money-back guarantee to subscribers should they encounter problems with their DSL service," he added.

Bayan currently provides services to over 30,000 subscribers using Ericsson’s solution.

"We foresee that Bayan will enjoy continued growth in new DSL subscribers and we are confident that we are providing them with the most reliable and future-proof solutions for their needs," Rajendra Pangrekar, Ericsson Telecommunications Inc. (Philippines) president and country manager, said.

Currently, Bayan is offering nationwide DSL service in the Philippines up to speeds of 2 Mb/s.

Its coverage areas include Bayan’s service areas in Metro Manila, the Bicol region, the Visayas, and Mindanao. Since Bayan offers DSL as a stand-alone product, customers need not be landline subscribers of Bayan to enjoy the service.