This is a summary description of the contract work performed for purchaser (Lucent Technologies Int'l. Inc. - Saudi Arabian Branch)
and work owner (Ministry of PTT, Saudi Telecom Company -STC).


A.5 Telephone Switch Administration, Installation, Operations, and Maintenance

All works were performed under the umbrella of Telephone Expansion Project Number 6 (TEP-6) and GSM Network Implementation. At the time of its award to AT&T International, TEP-6/GSM was the largest telecom expansion project in history with a value of US$ 6,000,000,000 (Six Billion Dollars) including change orders and upscopes. WESA, as (then) AT&T joint venture was allocated a significant amount of the works performed.

WESA performed the work mentioned below from 1994 through 2001. WESA has performed work of a similar nature since 1978. We have expanded our capabilities into High Speed Data Networking Enterprise Solutions, Wireless Local Area Networks, VoIP, ADSL, ATM, SDH Transmission, Large Call Centers and more.

It is our belief that the fact that all of the projects mentioned below have been successfully completed, (and may others not mentioned in the body of this letter), combined with the fact that we were a Lucent Technologies joint venture, and a preferred Silver Status Business Partner with AVAYA Communication are all relevant to the nature of this opportunity.

WESA also has a well-developed infrastructure throughout the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and over 25 years history in the region. We have not encountered any noteworthy problems with the above mentioned projects.

The TEP-6 program involved the staging and distribution of multi-million dollar technical equipment throughout the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. WESA's centralized warehousing facilities in Riyadh enabled the rapid deployment of material to all our supported locations.

In the body of work mentioned below, WESA performed as a subcontractor, first tier vis-à-vis TEP-6/GSM .

A.5.1 Telephone Switch Operation

During our involvement with this program, WESA was awarded the Y2K Project which entailed the installation of 117 5ESS Central Office Switches throughout the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Concurrently, WESA dismantled the removed 114 outmoded Ericsson AXE C.O. Switches. During that phase of the project, WESA maintained a subscriber trouble index of 98.9%. The number of land lines (Commercial, Residential and Special Circuits) were one Million +/-.

WESA personnel involved with Lucent Technologies under the aegis of TEP-6 since 1994 have been performing tasks including, but not limited to, the following:

For Operation and Maintenance of the Telephone Switching System and any Ancillary Equipment:

  • Configuration/reconfiguration of the switch as needed
  • Performing diagnostic tests
  • Performing backup of the system
  • Loading of software for upgrades or changes in the database, etc.
  • Changing the dial plan (i.e. database) as required
  • Making software translations for adds, moves, and changes
  • Analyzing trunk utilization, traffic on the switch, voice recording, and billing statistics.
  • Administration of all applicable hardware and software.
  • Recognizing, diagnosing, and correcting any system alarms or faults in an expedient manner, and properly logging this activity.
  • Performing preventive maintenance as required
  • Other tasks as appropriate.

A.5.2 Inside Plant Maintenance

WESA had technical personnel performing Circuit Work Orders (CWO) at STC 5ESS Central Offices in order to perform throughput and connectivity for fiber optic based high-speed data links. These links were available to Internet Service Providers (ISPs) Kingdom-wide, in order to provide access to the Worlds Wide Web for the ISP subscribers.

Furthermore, WESA provided and installed Network Termination Units (NTUs) at the ISP locations to complete circuit connectivity at 64 kbs / 128 kbs and E1 circuits respectively.

For Inside/Outside Plant Installation and Maintenance related to the TEP-6 contract(s) WESA personnel performed the following tasks:

  • Installation, termination, and testing of OSP/ISP copper cabling; including all necessary appurtenances. Also includes any needed splicing of the cables.
  • Installation, termination, and testing of OSP/ISP Fiber Optic cabling; including all necessary appurtenances. Also includes any required splicing of the cables.
  • Maintenance of the Main Distribution Frame (MDF) and any Intermediate Distribution Frame (IDF), DP, TTC, or other cross-connection points.
  • Recognizing, diagnosing, and repairing any faults associated with the copper and fiber optic cable plant.
  • Testing of C.O. trunk lines, all communication lines, etc.
  • Accommodating any cross-connections to accommodate adds, moves, and changes made on the switching systems and any adjuncts.
  • Performing preventive maintenance as needed.

A.5.3 Telephone Support Operations

WESA personnel worked closely with Lucent Technologies and the end-user (Ministry of PTT) to provide testing, repair, and restoration of services as needed. In particular, during the installation of the new 5ESS switches for the Y2K program, and the subsequent cutover and dismantling of the old Ericsson equipment, WESA worked in concert with all concerned parties, assuring that approximately 1 Million subscribers retained their services.

A.5.4 Switchboard Operations

Although the TEP-6 program did not specifically require WESA to perform this function, WESA in fact has an embedded customer base in excess of 400 PABX's Kingdom-wide that have been installed, programmed, and many of which are maintained by WESA. As a result of this vast experience, WESA is very well versed in all aspects of switching consoles and we also train many of our customer in this regard.

A.5.5 Routine and Preventative Maintenance

WESA personnel perfomed routine and preventive maintenance on a number of elements during TEP-6, specifically:

WESA was the subcontractor for the installation and commissioning of the GSM Network. This entailed the erection of GSM tower and rooftop cell sites Kingdom-wide. WESA personnel consisting of base station system (BSS) technicians, direct current power plant technicians (DCPP), antenna alignment technicians and riggers, operated and maintained the OSP/GSM Network for 5 consecutive years.

WESA was also tasked with providing various National Network Control Center (NNCC) operations personnel for STC. These individuals were responsible for monitoring telecom traffic routing and rerouting based upon circumstances, load levels, traffic density, etc. and also performed the necessary maintenance tasks as par to their work.

The vehicle used for network monitoring is an 80 cube SYNELEC Video Wall (one of the worlds largest). The video wall has numerous capabilities including monitoring of telecom traffic throughout the Kingdom, various Audio/Video Links, Video Conferencing, Monitoring Video Traffic via Satellite such as CNN, BBC, Orbit, etc.

The Video Wall was engineered, furnished, installed and commissioned by WESA.

Please note that as part of our core business, outside of the TEP-6 engagement, WESA performs routine and preventive maintenance on hundreds of PABX's for our customer on a daily basis.

A.5.6 Warning, Minor, and Major Alarms

A significant factor in the duties required of maintenance personnel is the response, diagnosis, and clearing of alarms. The personnel providing maintenance as noted above, were all required to perform this function.

A.5.7 Telephone Wsitch Adjuncts and Ancillaries

With regard to large PABX installations, under TEP-6/GSM WESA installed 17 PABX Switches and adjunct equipment (i.e. Auto Attendants, Audix Voice Main, Billing Systems and Uninterruptible Power Systems).

Again, as part of our core business outside of the TEP-6 aspect, WESA provides installation, testing, commissioning, and maintenance of switch adjuncts and ancillary equipment for numerous customer sites Kingdom-wide.

A.5.10 Emergency Maintenance

WESA has a Help Desk that operates 24 x 7 x 365 to handle trouble calls of all severity levels. This system alerts the appropriate team to handle the problem expediently. In many cases, the required response / fix time was 2 hours.

A.5.11 Monthly Productions and Delivery Report

An integral part of the TEP-6 program was the provisioning of reports on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. Job Progress meetings were scheduled with various timings throughout the life of the contracts.

Additional Information for WESA/Lucent TEP-6 Program

  • Initially, WESA provided manhole survey crews to verify existing underground cable routes and duct assignments Kingdom-wide;
  • WESA also provided the drafting and engineering support for assimilating that information;
  • When existing undergrond facilities were determined, verified and assigned, WESA provided senior outside plant engineering services to assist in the engineering design of new outside plant construction. This consisted of long distance fiber networks, fiber can rings, copper junction and access, systems and subsystems;
  • WESA also participated in the outside plant construction process by performing all work duties and cable placement of approximately 7,500 miles of various fiber and copper cable. This included project management, supervision and inspection along with all civil work construction, cable placement, either direct buried or concrete encased duct banked;
  • WESA performed various cable splicing (fiber, copper, coax) testing (OLS, OTDR, VOM, megger, etc.) and commissioning upon completion of the civil work portion;
  • The above work entailed every aspect of an ASP WAN Network from tip splices in central office (CO) vaults to the termination of buried service wire (BSW) at subscriber serving terminal distribuiton points (DP);
  • WESA also performed civil works and tower erection for the STC (Saudi Telecom Company) Subscirber Radio System (SRS);
  • WESA performed civil works associated with tower foundations at 49 locations Kingdom-wide at remote locations. The towers consisted of 10 meter (33 feet) monopoles up to 90 meters (300 feet) self supporting;
  • WESA also installed and aligned the parabolic antennas, Helix Radio Cable and Transmission equipment;
  • WESA also participated in Data Networking Enterprise Solutions associated with STC;
  • As the final stages of TEP-6 were drawing to a close, WESA was awarded an associated project termed Y2K. This entailed installing 117 5ESS Central Office Switches Kingdom-wide.

Call Centers

  • The first ACD system for STC in Mursalat that was supporting 907 and 904 services
  • Separate centralized ACD systems for 907, 902 and 904
  • ACD system for STC 969
  • The current STC 902  Call Centers in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam sites
  • The current STC 904  Call Centers Buraidah, Abha, Hofouf  and Makkah sites
  • Upgraded the current STC 907  Call Center in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam  sites
  • STC Internal Call Centers Support  ACD system
    Note :
        969 Telex
        902 Jawal "Mobile"
        904 Fixed Lines Maintenance
        907 Fixed Lines Services and New Data solutions

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