Ericsson bags 4G contract from Telenor Group

NEW DELHI: Swedish telecom equipment maker Ericsson said that it has signed a five-year contract with Telenor Group for the design and implementation of 4G/LTE networks and the transformation of existing 2G and 3G networks in Thailand, Bangladesh and Myanmar.

The agreement includes hardware, software and services. Ericsson will install its multi-standard radio base station, the RBS 6000, which supports 3G and 4G/LTE in a single cabinet.

"Indoor small cell solutions will also be deployed, including the Radio Dot System and RBS 6402 to address the requirement of reliable mobility, security and performance in challenging indoor environments," the company said.

"Around the world, the small cell base station RBS 6402 is delivering speeds of up to 300 Mbps, with deployments in less than 10 minutes, enabled by self- organizing network (SON) features," it added.

"In Radio Dot System deployments, mobile data throughput has improved by up to 5 times, dropped calls have been reduced to zero, and installation times are as low as 4 minutes per Dot," it further said.

In addition, micro radio base station RBS 6501 will also add extra capacity and seamless mobility in selected outdoor spaces.

The transformation will improve network capacity and enhance mobile broadband experiences for dtac (4G/LTE), Grameenphone (2G/3G) and Telenor Myanmar (2G/3G) subscribers. Consumers will enjoy improved smartphone and network performance, including faster web browsing and downloads.

dtac is the second largest mobile operator in Thailand, Grameenphone and Telenor Myanmar are part of the Telenor Group, which is headquartered in Oslo, Norway.

Operators such as Telenor Group are looking to enable digital transformation of societies by extending internet connectivity to as many people as possible. By teaming with Ericsson, operators are able to bring vital infrastructure, new services and products that empower people, business and society.

"This contract clearly demonstrates Ericsson's technology and services leadership, and further extends our long-standing relationship with Telenor Group," said Sam Saba, Head of Region South East Asia and Oceania, Ericsson.

"Ericsson's 3G and 4G/LTE network solutions will enable dtac, Telenor Myanmar and Grameenphone to deliver unique experiences for people, business and society, thus shaping and accelerating the Networked Society in Thailand, Bangladesh and Myanmar," added Saba.

Ericsson is today present in all high-traffic LTE markets, including the US, Japan and South Korea, and is ranked first for handling global LTE traffic - 40 percent of the world's mobile traffic is carried over Ericsson networks. Ericsson is number one in LTE market share within the world's top 100 cities. More than 220 Ericsson LTE RAN and evolved Packet Core networks have been delivered worldwide, of which 170 are live commercially.