Motorola announced recently it has won a major contract to upgrade, extend and manage Vodafone's nationwide GSM network in Turkey.

Under the eight-year contract, Motorola will modernize and upgrade Vodafone's radio access network to increase coverage and capacity. In addition, Motorola will assume responsibility for operational management of the network.

As part of the access network modernization program, Motorola will also ensure the 3G readiness of key sites.

"Motorola is proud and excited to have been chosen by Vodafone to play a major role in its operations in Turkey over the next eight years," said Jose Figueroa, corporate vice president and general manager, Motorola Networks & Enterprise EMEA. "Today's announcement clearly demonstrates Motorola's commitment to GSM and our ability to deliver innovative, managed services that will help secure long-term cost efficiencies for Vodafone."

In addition to the benefits of enhanced network quality and performance, the agreement is expected to improve Vodafone's network operating costs and provide it with greater predictability of related expenses.