Turkey's Avea has selected NEC Corp. to provide a mobile backhaul solution through the company's ultra compact PASOLINK NEO microwave communications system, in cooperation with local partner, Karel Electronics Corp. Turkey is one of the largest mobile communications markets in Europe and the Middle East and Avea is Turkey’s third largest mobile operator, with 12.6 million mobile subscribers.

Turkey's mobile phone operators will launch 3G services in August 2009, and in order to secure new subscribers to their services, operators are aggressively expanding their 3G high-speed data transmission infrastructure. For Avea’s scheduled commencement of 3G services, PASOLINK NEO will be used to carry out transmission between 3G mobile base stations. The company expects to provide the Turkish operator with approximately 5,000 terminals by 2011.

The PASOLINK system was chosen for its ability to easily and inexpensively respond to increasing telecommunications needs. The system has become the driving force behind the expansion of a wide variety of product applications' ability to handle different operating conditions, such as increasing data capacities and interfaces, without installing new hardware. Furthermore, a good Mean Time between Failure (MTBF) of more than one hundred years, achieved through the NEC Group's integrated production system, ensures the product's long-term reliability.

NEC has supplied the system to nearly all of Turkey's mobile operators, and boasts a wide majority of the country's ultra compact microwave communications system market share. NEC views its selection to provide this latest microwave system as recognition of Avea's high regard for the company’s services and systems.