Wednesday 26 October 2011

Ericsson and Open Mobile sign Latin America's first 4G/LTE contract

Puerto Rico's leading operator Open Mobile has chosen Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) to supply, deploy and manage its nationwide network. Under the deal, Ericsson will roll out a complete 4G/LTE solution. Ericsson will assist the operation of Open Mobile newly deployed LTE network. This is Ericsson's first full-scope contract for an LTE network combined with MPLS enabled Mobile Backhaul.

Frank Bell, President of Open Mobile, commented: "Being at the forefront of broadband evolution means our customers in Puerto Rico will be the first in Latin America to benefit from this groundbreaking technology. We appreciate having a partner in Ericsson with proven experience and knowledge to deploy this first LTE network in the region. This is a key step towards bringing our customers the fastest mobile broadband network."

Sergio Quiroga, Head of Ericsson in Latin America, says: "We are in a unique position with our global LTE leadership. Having worked closely with Open Mobile to plan its LTE rollout, we are proud to bring the next generation of mobile broadband to Puerto Rico. Our world-class services and LTE network will enable Open Mobile to continue to deliver a superior end-user experience to its customers."

The contract includes radio access and core network with latest-generation multi standard radio base station, RBS 6000 series, MME and and Mobile Backhaul with MINI-LINK TN and MINI-LINK SP. The network rollout has started.

Ericsson's global experience and vision surrounding 4G LTE were significant reasons for selecting them as our key infrastructure partner. Our companies have worked closely to rapidly build a high-quality 4G LTE network said Neville Cruz, CTO, Open Mobile. "As we continue to roll out 4G LTE network in our metropolitan areas in the remainder of 2011 and early 2012, we plan to leverage Ericsson's technology leadership to bring our customers an exciting mobile broadband experience."

As of Sept 2011, LTE is available in more than 160 devices, mainly smartphones, dongles, mifis, tablets and built-in modems.