Telecommunications company MTN has extended its managed services agreement with Ericsson for its Ghana operations.

Prior to the extension, MTN had signed an agreement with Ericsson in 2009 in connection to the rollout of MTN’s 3G network in Ghana. Under the extended agreement, Ericsson is responsible for network operations, field maintenance and optimisation.

In addition, MTN will retain full ownership of the network and responsibility for its strategic direction, while Ericsson will manage the network operations, optimisation and field maintenance for MTN’s 3G sites.

By teaming up with Ericsson, operators can strengthen their competitive edge through improved network availability and capacity, while reducing their operating costs, said Ericsson.

Ericsson Managed Services head Valter D`Avino said MTN and Ericsson are collaborating in many areas across this and other regions for several years now and in Ghana Ericcson is pleased to have been part of the journey towards 10m subscribers.

"With Ericsson continuing to run the operations of the network, MTN will be able to dedicate even more time and focus on delivering innovative products and services relevant to the needs of their customers," said D`Avino.