Singapore Telecommunications, otherwise known as SingTel, has awarded a SIN$220 million contract to Ericsson Telecommunications to expand its 2G and 3G mobile network.

Ericsson will deliver an internet protocol-based radio and core mobile network, designed to carry large volumes of traffic, to
South East Asia's biggest telecommunications company.

The company's network of base stations in Singapore will exceed 2,800 by end of March 2009.

SingTel said the upgrades would allow even faster speeds within the next 18 months to cater for the volume of customers accessing data and the internet on mobile phones.