Banglalink awards charging system upgrade to Ericsson (Bangladesh, Sweden)
Banglalink, one of Bangladesh’s leading mobile phone operators, today announced that it has entered into a five-year agreement with Ericsson to upgrade its charging system, including IN expansion, consulting and systems integration services, as well as support. The upgraded charging system will enable Banglalink to offer subscribers new and innovative value-added services.
Thanks to Ericsson’s consulting and systems integration services, Banglalink’s upgraded solution will feature geographical redundancy, meaning that it will remain functional in the event of any natural disasters or network outages. To date, more than 90 percent of Bangladesh’s mobile subscribers belong to the prepaid segment.
Mohammed Osman, Acting CEO and Chief Financial Officer of Banglalink, said that this is why they wanted to get a powerful unified, consolidated and standard solution that provides them with a competitive edge in prepaid services. This upgrade will also make it easier for them to adopt a convergent prepaid and postpaid billing system in the future. More importantly, it gives them the ability to quickly launch new value-added products and services.
By integrating the Ericsson OSS Navigator with the Ericsson Charging System, Banglalink will benefit from more effective network monitoring and improved service-aware network management. It will also have access to a combination of business and network data that will provide a holistic overview of end users and network efficiency. As a result, Banglalink will be able to develop innovative subscriber plans based on end-user behaviors and network capabilities.
Per-Henrik Nielsen, President of Ericsson Bangladesh, said that they are pleased to provide Banglalink with a robust charging system that will help bring more innovative services to its subscribers. They are also confident that this upgrade to the charging system will strengthen Banglalink’s relationships with its customers.
T-Mobile selects Ericsson and NSN for $4 billion 4G network plan (USA)
T-Mobile USA, Inc. announced multi-year agreements with Ericsson and Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) to support T-Mobile’s $4 billion 4G network evolution plan, including network modernization and deployment of long term evolution (LTE) service in 2013.
As part of the agreements, Ericsson and Nokia Siemens Networks will provide and install state of the art, Release 10 capable equipment at 37,000 cell sites across T-Mobile’s 4G network, increasing signal quality and enhancing performance beginning in 2012. T-Mobile also expects to be the first carrier in North America to broadly deploy antenna integrated radios, enabling accelerated deployment and reduced site loading.
Last week, T-Mobile secured the AWS spectrum licenses from AT&T which were agreed to as part of the breakup of the proposed merger between the two companies. This new spectrum, in addition to the refarming effort, enables the launch of LTE in AWS spectrum and up to 20 MHz of LTE in 75 percent of the top 25 markets.
Neville Ray, chief technology officer, T-Mobile USA, said that they are making great progress on their four billion dollar 4G network transformation. With these partners on board and the AT&T AWS spectrum secured, they are on track to enhance their 4G experience this year and deliver nationwide LTE in 2013.
The company’s timing for LTE allows T-Mobile to take advantage of the latest and most advanced LTE technology infrastructure, improving the overall capacity and performance of its 4G network, while optimizing the company’s spectrum resources. T-Mobile will also apply deep LTE technology experience gained from its parent, Deutsche Telekom, a recognized global leader in LTE development and standardization.
As part of the company’s network modernization effort, T-Mobile also plans to launch 4G HSPA+ service in the 1900 MHz band in a large number of markets by the end of the year. Network modernization trials have shown up to a 33 percent increase in HSPA+ data speeds as well as improved in-building coverage. Rolling out 4G HSPA+ services in the 1900 MHz band will also provide customers with the ability to use a broader range of devices, including the iPhone, on T-Mobile’s 4G network.
T-Mobile also announced that its nationwide HSPA+ network has expanded to deliver a competitive 4G experience to well over 220 million people in 229 markets. In addition to an expanding 4G footprint, the 4G experience T-Mobile provides is pervasive among its customer base.
Ray said that in contrast to their competitors, nearly half of T-Mobile’s postpaid smartphone customers are using a 4G device. Not only are they delivering a fast 4G experience to a higher percentage of their customers, they are also making it more affordable to step up to 4G.
Beginning today, customers in Little Rock, Ark.; Hattiesburg, Miss.; Springfield, Mo. and Madison, Wis. can experience the fast speeds available on America’s Largest 4G Network. Customers in Fayetteville and Little Rock, Ark.; Lake Charles, La. and Springfield, Mo. can experience the faster speeds offered by our HSPA+ 42 network with devices such as the recently launched HTC One S. Current customers are experiencing average speeds approaching 8 Mbps with peaks up to 22 Mbps using T-Mobile’s HTC One S.
Huawei targets number one mobile vendor slot (China)
Huawei, which is currently the second largest mobile network vendor, has claimed that it plans to replace current leader Ericsson to be the world’s largest mobile infrastructure vendor. In an interview with Mobile World Live, David Wang, president of Huawei’s wireless networks business, said that they want to be the leading mobile infrastructure provider and there is no doubt about that.
As per the report, Wang pointed to the Chinese vendor’s product portfolio as proof that it has evolved beyond more than just a ‘cheaper’ version of its western rivals, outlining the company’s contribution to industry standard developments as well as its launch of SingleRAN and GigaSite equipment.
Wang said that step by step, following this kind of path, they could be the number one. He added that they want to really have the biggest contribution to the whole industry.
He added that with GSM, at the time they were still followers. But with UMTS they started to become one of the leading vendors. And now for LTE, he thinks that they are absolutely one of the world’s leading vendors. Further, LTE will be a big opportunity for Huawei to further enhance their leadership.
Ericsson wins LTE contract with SoftBank Mobile (Japan, Sweden)
Video-sharing and streaming in high definition, facilitated mobility and richer multimedia content, enhanced security and improved latency are one of the many advantages that LTE users could enjoy. And soon SoftBank Mobile’s subscribers will be able to share these advantages, thanks to a new LTE network contract signed by SoftBank Mobile with Ericsson. The Ericsson network will cover Japan’s major cities – Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya – which together account for 70 percent of the country’s total data and voice traffic. SoftBank Mobile is currently Japan’s third-largest mobile operator, with more than 29 million subscribers.
Ericsson will upgrade SoftBank Mobile’s packet core network, including systems integration and deployment of an Evolved Packet Core (EPC) solution, and build a new LTE radio access network using RBS 6000 multi-standard base stations. This will allow SoftBank Mobile users to experience the best possible networks in one of the world’s most densely populated areas such as Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya.
Junichi Miyakawa, Executive Vice President, Director and CTO of SoftBank Mobile Corp., says that to fulfill their customers’ expectations, they continue to improve their networks. With LTE, customers get increased speed and decreased latency, while they will enjoy a wide range of new services and applications. With Ericsson’s support, they will be able to offer their customers high quality LTE services.
Jan Signell, President of Ericsson Japan, said that during 2012, many new smartphones, notebooks and tablets with LTE capabilities will be launched in Japan. This will lead to a strong increase in consumer demand for higher data speeds and throughput – a demand that SoftBank Mobile will be able to meet thanks to the state-of-the-art LTE network that we will rapidly deploy.
Ericsson has signed 45 LTE/EPC contracts in 23 countries on five continents. The global LTE population coverage is 325 million, of which 215 million are covered by Ericsson networks. LTE, the next generation of mobile communication technology, enables the fast transfer of huge amounts of data in an efficient and cost-effective way, optimizing the use of the frequency spectrum. With increased speed and decreased latency, consumers can enjoy a wide range of applications – such as lag-free web browsing, online gaming, social media and video conferencing – effortlessly, while on the move. LTE will meet the demands of new and enhanced mobile internet applications of the future.
Ericsson continues to drive open standards and has had the greatest influence on the LTE specifications released to date. Ericsson expects to hold 25 percent of all essential patents related to LTE, which will make it the standard’s largest single patent holder.
Orange Jordan to invest $114 million for 3G launch (Jordan)
Telecom operator Orange Jordan has reportedly invested $ 114 million to launch 3G services in the region and offer users’ better mobile broadband services. In order to provide seamless mobile services to the consumers, Orange has partnered with Ericsson to manage and expand its network.
As per reports, Sami Smeirat, vice-president of Jordan Telecom Group for Business Services and CEO of Jordan Data Communications, said that they have invested around $700 million on building infrastructure in the last 10 years as an enabler, and they are the first to introduce 3G in the country.
Smeirat added that they cover around 95 per cent of the country with their broadband network. Further, they have 5,000km of fiber optic cable to businesses and are increasing it by 2-3km per day. 85 percent of the phones used in the country are smartphones and the remainder are conventional models.
He said that the developed network increased their international business, where 30 per cent of the revenues are from wholesale services. They have witnessed a shift in customer behaviour, largely as a result of proliferation of smartphones and other types of internet-enabled phones.
Ericsson helps implement mobile ticketing service in Florence (Italy)
Azienda Trasporti dell’Area Fiorentina (ATAF, the public transport authority in Florence, Italy) has launched its Mobile Ticketing service in partnership with Ericsson and mobile operators TIM, Vodafone, Wind and 3 Italia. As per a report by the company, the service allows customers of these operators to buy public transport tickets by text message, charging the cost to their mobile account.
Through this initiative, the Italian operators are strengthening their commitment to Mobile Pay, a platform launched in May 2011 to expand the use of mobile technology as a payment method. ATAF is the first public transport administration in Italy to implement mobile payment services. The system is convenient for passengers because a mobile phone is all they need to make a payment, and the cost is charged to their existing mobile account, so no registration or credit system is necessary.
Mobile ticketing represents a new step toward the mass adoption of m-commerce, a concept that transforms mobile devices into mobile wallets to provide a new method of payment for goods and services. In a study on preferred mobile services conducted by the Politecnico di Milano (Polytechnic University of Milan) in Italy, 65 percent of respondents said they were interested in mobile ticketing.
Ericsson is the world leader in mobile charging and billing, with more than 1.6 billion subscribers using its solutions. Prior to the 2012 Mobile World Congress, held in Barcelona, Spain, Ericsson launched its new extended suite of m-commerce solutions and services, designed to accelerate access and interconnection between the emerging m-commerce ecosystem and the financial world to fast-track the next generation of mobile financial services.
Orange Jordan partners with Ericsson for network upgrade (Jordan)
Telecom operator Orange Jordan has signed an agreement with Ericsson to expand and modernise the operator’s 2G and 3G networks across the kingdom. According to reports, the new agreement will enable modernization of the 2G network while expanding the operator’s 3G presence.
As per a company statement, the upgrades will allow Orange Jordan to meet the demands of its growing subscriber base and continue to provide customers with high quality connectivity throughout the kingdom.
Further, under the terms of the agreement, Ericsson will also be supplying Orange with its latest RBS 6000 technology, an energy-efficient compact site solution that prepares the network for LTE/4G technology.
Tarek Saadi, president and head of Ericsson North Middle East, said that they are delighted to be continuing their successful relationship with Orange Jordan, and to have been awarded the modernization and expansion contract of their 3G and 2G networks. He added that they are committed to working with Orange to provide them with tailored and adaptable solutions that can help them meet the demands of their increasing subscriber base, and we look forward to further cooperation with Orange in the future.
Nayla Khawam, CEO, Orange Jordan, has said that the operator and its predecessor, Jordan Telecom Group, have played a key role creating the kingdom’s telecommunications backbone. Also, they have made significant contributions to Jordan Telecom’s integration with regional and global markets, something they are very proud of. Now, with their increasing subscriber base and the resulting demands on the networks, it is essential that they work with the right partner to provide the most reliable and up-to-date services for their subscribers.
3 Italy selects Ericsson to upgrade its network with LTE and HSPA (Italy)
Ericsson is strengthening its partnership with 3 in Italy and managed services network infrastructure. To cope with the boom in mobile data traffic, 3 Italy has renewed its agreement with Ericsson with the objective to enhance its broadband network mobile in terms of coverage, capacity and performance.
After the end of March 2012, three Italy is the only operator in the country to offer network-wide access to mobile broadband internet with speeds up to 42Mbps in the downlink and up to 5.76 Mbps on the uplink. The agreement will also enable 3 Italy to have a network already LTE prepared at 100 Mbps for commercial launch in 2012. With this contract Ericsson strengthens its position as a leading provider of 3 for Italy network infrastructure.
Once the upgrade is complete, customers will have access to a 3 Italy network Mobile Broadband technology. The extension of the partnership, which already included an agreement for managed services, will enable 3 Italy to pursue a constant improvement of processes, a reduction in costs and a greater operational efficiency. Furthermore, the introduction of advanced plant operations at Package EPC (Evolved Packet Core), will enable the early stages of launch LTE services, connection speed to 100Mbps.
Vincenzo Novari, CEO, 3 Italy, said that thanks to the success and effectiveness of cooperation with Ericsson, they continue to be a reference in Italy for innovation and development of mobile broadband network. They are doing a step further to meet the growing demand for connectivity and services mobile broadband by businesses and consumers Italians, extending the end of March HSPA + coverage to the whole Italian territory and launch services LTE already this year. Their network will become even more efficient in managing data traffic, thus ensuring the customer a better experience.
Blueberry Nuncio, President of Ericsson Mediterranean Region, said that the trust 3 Italy has placed in making them the partner of choice for infrastructure network is an additional incentive to support operators that want to be competitive market and are investing in updating networks offer better performance, capacity and a more extensive coverage in the area.
Further, they are excited to continue to support 3 Italy, former long-time partner, evolution of its infrastructure to a fourth-generation mobile network, at a time when innovation and dynamism are crucial for their Country.
RCom shortlists vendors to outsource network management (India)
Indian telecom operator, RCom (Reliance Communications), may be planning to outsource its network management for which it has identified certain vendors. According to reports, the operator is considering vendors such as Ericsson, Alcatel-Lucent, Huawei Technologies and ZTE, for the deal which may be worth US$ 3 billion, for a period of five years.
Sources claim that the deal would consist of outsourcing end-to-end management services and will include all services with the exception of consumer and IT services. The agreement, expected to be finalized in the coming months, is considered to be largest outsourcing contract by a telecom operator.
Currently, RCom has a 50:50 joint venture with Alcatel-Lucent, for managing its networks. However, sources claim that the operator now wants to tie up with a single vendor for outsourcing all network management services, and Alcatel-Lucent is one of the shortlisted vendors.
Rival telecom operators, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone have also outsourced their network management, but have tied up with multiple vendors.
Company officials are yet to issue a statement regarding the same.
MTN extends managed services contract with Ericsson (Africa, Sweden)
South-Africa based mobile telecommunications company MTN has extended its managed services contract with Sweden’s Ericsson for its Ghana operations. According to company reports, the contract was originally signed between the two companies in 2009 for the roll-out of MTN’s 3G network in Ghana. As per the agreement, MTN will retain full ownership of the network and responsibility for its strategic direction, while Ericsson will manage the network operations, optimization and field maintenance for MTN’s 3G sites.
Jon Hoffmann, Chief Technical officer, MTN Ghana said that their first two years together achieved the results they were hoping for: they could focus on subscriber growth, and Ericsson delivered network reliability and efficiencies.
Valter D Avino, Head of Managed Services, Ericsson, has said that MTN and Ericsson collaborate in many areas across this and other regions for several years now and in Ghana they are especially pleased to have been part of the journey towards 10 million subscribers. With Ericsson continuing to run the operations of the network, MTN will be able to dedicate even more time and focus on delivering innovative products and services relevant to the needs of their customers.
