Kapsch and Algerian Railways SNTF to sign contract for a joint venture

Kapsch CarrierCom and the Algerian railways operator SNTF (Société Nationale des Transports Ferroviaires) signed a contract on the joint venture Rail-Telecom.
Rail-Telecom is now under joint ownership of SNTF (51%) and Kapsch CarrierCom (49%) as shareholding partners. Furthermore, this joint venture will become a center of excellence in Algeria, in order to offer their services and expertise in the region.
The agreement foresees a knowledge transfer initiative, the supervision and maintenance of the Algerian railways telecommunication networks, including the nationwide GSM-R (Global System for Mobile Communications – Railway) and SDH (Synchronous Digital Hierarchy) fiberglass backbone, and promising infrastructure projects to be realized within the upcoming years.
The main goals of the partnership are to grow and establish railway telecommunications know-how in Algeria; to educate, train and supervise local experts, and finally to build, supply and maintain the Algerian railway network with state-of-the-art telecommunication technology.
This joint venture follows a memorandum of understanding signed between Kapsch and SNTF in July 2013 to increase cooperation in the sector of secured telecommunication for railways.