The Saudi Arabian telecoms operator Etihad Etisalat (Mobily) has signed a $280 million contract with Nokia Solutions & Networks (NSN) for an upgrade of its 3G and 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks, TeleGeography reports. This export credit help from NSN will allow Mobily to speed up expansion and modernization of its networks, from 2014 to 2016. The investment is primarily intended for improving use and addressing high speed data service demands.

This past January, Mobily awarded another contract to NSN to deploy its single radio access network (RAN) platform and refarm its 900-MHz GSM frequencies to improve 3G network capacity and coverage. That deal calls for NSN to upgrade Mobily’s 2G, 3G (W-CDMA) and Time Division Long Term Evolution (TD-LTE) networks in the central part of the country, including the city of Riyadh. The vendor is also providing Mobily with network management software, NetAct, and its Performance Manager to allow for the consolidation of monitoring, management, and operation of the cellco’s 2G, 3G and LTE networks.