A quartet of Japanese industry heavyweights have penned a deal with Uzbekistan telco Uzbektelecom to supply equipment and services for the expansion of the telco's network.

NEC, NTT Communications Corporation, Toyota Tsusho Corporation ("Toyota Tsusho"), and Internet Initiative Japan Inc. ("IIJ") have signed the contract with Uzbektelecom.

The financial terms of the contract have not been revealed.

This contract will see the development of a telecommunications infrastructure project to provide data center and telecommunications infrastructure for an advanced data communication system.

It's part of the Digital Uzbekistan 2030 project, which seeks to develop the nation's digital economy.

The project is being funded by Japan Bank for International Cooperation, Nippon Export and Investment Insurance, and the MUFG Bank.

Installation of the system is expected to begin this year, with the four Japanese companies helping to provide equipment to the state-owned Uzbektelecom's data centers in the country's three major cities of Tashkent, Bukhara, and Kokand.

The quartet will also help with the expansion of the telecommunications transport and data networks, plus the international data communication network.

For Uzbektelecom, the latest agreement adds to the $506 million contracts the telco signed with Chinese vendors Huawei and ZTE in October of last year, to enhance network development in the country.

These contracts were focused around the development of the operator's 3G, 4G, and 5G networks.