West African nation Niger will now have a 3G network thanks a partnership between Airtel and Ericsson.

Communications technology firm Ericsson announced that it has been chosen to be the exclusive 3G HSPA end-to-end hardware, software and related service vendor in Niger Republic.

Ericsson says the deployment of the 3G network complements Airtel Niger's strategy to enrich the customer experience by offering high-speed mobile broadband, and a wider range of consumer services.

Commenting on the partnership Ericsson Niger country manager, Messe Kone stated, "Mobile broadband is playing an increasingly important role in our daily lives. It is changing the way we are entertained, educated, work and share information. It also has the power to improve the quality of our lives. We are excited to have been chosen by Airtel to bring this new opportunity to the market."

According to a statement the network will extend across the West African nation.

Airtel Niger will use radio base stations based on Ericsson's latest multi-standard radio access portfolio, RBS 6000; the latest radio network controller, RNC 3280; and the latest core technology, which will drastically boost the capacity of the network and transform it with IP functionality.

Chief executive officer of Airtel Niger, Raymond Mendy said, "3G was a must in our strategy in Niger where data penetration is still very low. As a leader in Niger's telecoms market, Airtel's ambition is to bring innovative data products and services that will help people and businesses to unlock their potential. Internet connections will never be the same with Airtel 3G service."