Mobile Broadband Network Limited (MBNL), the 50:50 joint venture formed by 3UK and T-Mobile UK to manage the integration of both operators’ 3G radio access networks (RAN), has awarded Ericsson a four-year managed services contract for the operation and maintenance of the consolidated network.
T-Mobile and 3 formed their infrastructure sharing agreement in January 2008 with the aim of creating the UK’s most extensive 3G network by 2010. This ground-breaking network collaboration will deliver close to complete nationwide population coverage for 3G services and significantly improve in-building signal strength. The agreement will also deliver substantial cost savings as well as environmental benefits, including the decommissioning of an estimated 5,000 cell sites.
Under the terms of the agreement, Ericsson has responsibility for the operation and performance management of both parent companies’ 3G networks and T-Mobile’s 2G RAN infrastructure. The four-year contract will enable MBNL to control operational expenses and deliver high service levels at a time when the 3G network consolidation is moving into the mass deployment phase.
The first integrated cell site was commissioned in early February 2008. Since then MBNL has concluded a pilot in the Leeds and Bradford area which successfully validated the network sharing technology and is now engaged in consolidating the radio access networks across the UK.
Around 80 employees from T-Mobile have been transferred to Ericsson, further strengthening its existing UK managed services capability. In the UK, Ericsson holds separate managed services contracts with T-Mobile and 3. T-Mobile and 3 are both global Ericsson customers.
Emin Gurdenli, Chief Technology Officer for T-Mobile UK, says: “The appointment of Ericsson is another significant step towards realizing our commitment to create and operate the UK’s most extensive 3G network. Partnering with a proven and progressive services organization reinforces our intent to deliver superior, high-speed mobile data services to customers across the UK.”
Mats Granryd, Managing Director, Ericsson UK, says: “We are delighted and proud to be given the responsibility of operating the radio access network for MBNL. This is an extremely exciting and bold project and we are entirely committed to playing our part in achieving success for MBNL’s parent companies.”
Graham Baxter, CTO, 3 UK, says: “The deployment of our consolidated mobile broadband network is advancing rapidly. Having Ericsson as a trusted partner operating the access network will be an important contribution to our overall goals of providing a reliable and high performance service.”
The contract with Ericsson is the latest of a number of key supplier agreements awarded by MBNL in recent months for the provision of 3G radio network infrastructure and a five-year managed service contract for the supply of high-speed Ethernet connections to 7,500 cell sites.
Ericsson is the world’s leading provider of technology and services to telecom operators. The market leader in 2G and 3G mobile technologies, Ericsson supplies communications services and manages networks that serve more than 195 million subscribers. The company’s portfolio comprises mobile and fixed network infrastructure, and broadband and multimedia solutions for operators, enterprises and developers. The Sony Ericsson joint venture provides consumers with feature-rich personal mobile devices.
Ericsson is advancing its vision of ‘communication for all’ through innovation, technology, and sustainable business solutions. Working in 175 countries, more than 70,000 employees generated revenue of USD 27.9 billion (SEK 188 billion) in 2007. Founded in 1876 and headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, Ericsson is listed on OMX Nordic Exchange Stockholm and NASDAQ.
About Ericsson’s Managed Services offering
Ericsson has the telecom industry’s most comprehensive managed services offering. It ranges from designing, building, operating and managing day-to-day operations of a customer’s network, including end-user services and business-support systems, to hosting service applications and content, as well as providing network coverage and capacity on demand. As the undisputed leader in managed services, Ericsson has officially announced more than 100 contracts for managed services with operators worldwide since 2002. In all current managed services contracts, excluding hosting, Ericsson is managing networks that together serve more than 225 million subscribers worldwide.
About T-Mobile UK
T-Mobile is one of the world’s largest mobile operators with more than 126.6 million customers worldwide and is the service provider of choice for 16.8 million customers in the UK, making it one of the largest networks. T-Mobile has a range of innovative products and services, such as Solo, the SIM only option offering market-leading minutes and texts on a 30-day rolling contract; Combi, our best package deal; Flext, a unique tariff with a flexible allowance; U-Fix, a tariff that combines pay-as-you-go and a minimum term contract, and web’n'walk, which enables customers to surf the internet on the move. Competitive high-speed Mobile Broadband tariffs include access to the largest worldwide Wi-Fi network, with more than 1,000 HotSpots in convenient locations in the UK and 27,000 worldwide. Network coverage is among the best in the UK at over 99 per cent of the UK population. T-Mobile operates an advanced 3G HSDPA-enabled network capable of supporting effective mobile broadband speeds of up 4.5Mbps and is the first UK operator to provide a nationwide HSUPA capability for faster uploads.
For more information about T-Mobile UK, please visit www.t-mobile.co.uk
About 3 UK
3 is a mobile operator focused on bringing the benefits of the internet to mobile communications. We offer attractive pricing and give our customers the widest choice of ways to stay connected at home or abroad. To do this we’re building the UK’s best high-speed mobile broadband network. 3 UK is a member of the HWL group of 3G companies, which include 3G operations in Australia, Austria, Denmark, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Macau and Sweden.
About Wireless Federation
Wireless Federation is an industry research conglomerate headquartered in London, United Kingdom. The mandate of the Wireless Federation is to provide its members and customers industry knowledge that can further enhance their understanding of the wireless industry. Wireless Federation conducts bespoke research and produces boxed reports in collabaration with Industry Bodies, Telecom Operators for Issues that revolve around ARPU, CHURN and Loyalty.
They have been associated with more than 225 mobile operators globally to set their Pricing/ Tariff Strategies, Go-To-Market Strategies for Mobile Advertising, Mobile Payments, Cutting VAS among others amongst 59 countries globally.
For more information please visit www.wirelessfederation.com
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