Bouygues Telecom selects Ericsson for trio of technologies - Ericsson

Bouygues Telecom selects Ericsson for trio of technologies - Ericsson:

Transformation of 2G/3G radio networks with RBS 6000 multi-standard technologies

Supply and rollout of 4G/LTE equipment

Coverage of Île de France, Centre-Alpes and Méditerranée regions

Strategic partnership further strengthens Ericsson's presence in radio access networks in France

Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) has been selected by Bouygues Telecom to transform its existing second- and third-generation (2G and 3G) radio networks in order to improve network performance as data traffic increases and more people move into French cities.

The contract also calls for rollout of a fourth-generation network, or 4G/LTE (Long Term Evolution), combined with a comprehensive package of services ranging from design, integration, rollout, to customer support.

This major, multi-year project has already begun and will be based on Ericsson RBS 6000 multi-standard equipment for the populous regions Île de France, Centre-Alpes and Méditerranée.

The result will be greater operational and energy efficiency for Bouygues Telecom and a further enhanced user experience, higher quality of service and faster connection speeds for the operator's 12 million subscribers. Bouygues Telecom covers 93% of the French population with its 3G+ network.

Olivier Roussat, CEO of Bouygues Telecom, said: "Ericsson has proven its ability to manage large-scale network projects with us in the past. This project will enable us to deliver a high level of service and further enhance the experience of people who use our 2G, 3G, and LTE technologies."

Franck Bouétard, head of Ericsson France, says: "Today's increasingly competitive marketplace demands high levels of quality and performance, which Bouyges Telecom will be able to meet with the solution they have chosen."

Ericsson is the market leader in LTE, with 38 commercial rollout contracts around the world, amounting to a 65% share of the LTE market in Q3 2011.

Vodafone and Wind Hellas Terminate Discussions Relating to a Potential Business Combination - Vodafone

Vodafone and Wind Hellas Terminate Discussions Relating to a Potential Business Combination - Vodafone:

Vodafone Group and Largo Limited, the sole shareholder of Wind Hellas, confirm that they have agreed to terminate discussions relating to a potential business combination between Vodafone Greece and Wind Hellas.

Ericsson to upgrade mobile backhaul networks in Germany and Belgium - Ericsson

Ericsson to upgrade mobile backhaul networks in Germany and Belgium - Ericsson:

KPN International's subsidiaries E-Plus Group in Germany and KPN Group Belgium in Belgium have chosen Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) to upgrade their mobile backhaul in Germany and Belgium over the next three years. Ericsson will install more than 15,000 MINI-LINK transmission node links in these countries before the end of 2013. The network upgrade is required to ensure that the mobile networks are as efficient as possible and can meet growing demand from mobile users. In both Belgium and Germany, there has been a rapid uptake of mobile internet services such as video and Web 2.0 applications on smartphones, notebooks and tablet PCs.

For the operators, upgrade of the mobile backhaul will lead to lower costs per bit, a smooth migration from Time Division Multiplex (TDM) to packet transport, and the opportunity to scale microwave up to gigabit capacities step-by-step.

Gerhard Lüdtke, Director Access Network at E-Plus Group, says: "To cope with the continuous rapid growth in data traffic and offer faster mobile access and backhaul networks, we are upgrading our mobile backhaul with the help of Ericsson's MINI-LINK technology. This investment will also allow us to make our network more cost-effective and future-proof, to the benefit of our broadband business."

Anders Runevad, Head of Region Western & Central Europe at Ericsson, says: "Mobile backhaul is becoming increasingly important due to the rapid increase in consumption of internet services, which can otherwise put a lot of strain on mobile networks. This necessitates an upgrade of the transmission network to provide sufficient capacity for the increased traffic generated at the radio base station sites. Mobile backhaul provides the link between the core and the radio network, and we aim to perfect that link."

Work related to the contract has already begun. Ericsson will migrate the two mobile operators' TDM-based transmission networks to packet-based mobile backhaul networks to pave the way for the introduction of HSPA Evolution and LTE.

TeliaSonera completes first phase of Kcell transaction

TeliaSonera completes first phase of Kcell transaction

TeliaSonera has completed the first phase of its previously announced transaction to increase ownership in GSM Kazakhstan LLP, operating under the brand Kcell, by acquiring a 49 % stake in the company from Kazakhtelecom.

Following regulatory approvals, TeliaSonera acquired the 49% stake from Kazakhtelecom, at a purchase price of USD 1.519 billion, in line with the initial announcement. TeliaSonera has further agreed, subject to certain conditions, to sell 25 percent of the shares minus one share in Kcell in an Initial Public Offering (IPO). The IPO process has been initiated, and is expected to be completed during 2012. Depending on the share price development after the IPO, TeliaSonera may have to make an additional payment to Kazakhtelecom.

After the transaction, GSM Kazakhstan LLP is owned by Fintur Holdings (51%) and TeliaSonera (49%). Fintur Holdings B.V. is owned by TeliaSonera (58.55%) and Turkcell (41.45%). Once both steps of the transaction have been completed, TeliaSonera’s effective ownership in Kcell will be 61,9%.

Previous announcement regarding this transaction were released on September 21 and December 22, 2011.

Telefónica boosts cloud capabilities with strategic investment in Joyent, Inc.

Telefónica - Press Office - Press room home - Telefónica boosts cloud capabilities with strategic investment in Joyent, Inc.:

LONDON and SAN FRANCISCO, January 23, 2012– Telefónica today announced that it has signed a strategic partnership with Joyent, a leader in cloud services and technologies. The partnership sees Telefónica making a strategic equity investment in Joyent that, in turn, gives it access to the latest Joyent technologies and software for the deployment of high performance and cost efficient cloud services.

Cloud-based services are a key focus area for Telefónica’s new Digital unit, and Joyent’s technology expertise will help Telefónica enhance its product offering, particularly for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and Small Office Home Office (SoHo) customers. The partnership combines Telefónica’s global scale and infrastructure with the cloud architecture developed by Joyent.

Unlike other cloud technology providers, Joyent has developed its entire cloud software stack from scratch, resulting in significant cost reduction and efficiency, an easy to operate architecture and exceptional operational performance. The company has proven experience in defining, exploiting, commercialising and operating a cloud business with over 12,000 public cloud customers in the US.

“This investment is further proof of our ambition in the area of cloud services and our strategy of working with the most innovative start-ups,” said Matthew Key, Chairman & CEO, Telefónica Digital.

“Joyent’s technology fits perfectly with our in-house developed technologies and our cloud services model and enables us to provide more competitive offerings to a broader range of customer segments.”

“This strategic partnership and funding will enable us to expand our product offering to more regions and to evolve our products, taking advantage of the service provider vision brought by Telefonica” said David Young, founder and CEO of Joyent.

Tracy Isacke led the investment in Joyent for Telefónica Ventures, a division of Telefónica Digital, with offices in Silicon Valley, London, Madrid and Israel. This is the second investment since Telefonica Digital was created in September 2011.

Telefónica Digital has been formed to lead Telefónica’s growth strategy in the new digital world. Through a combination of research and development, partnership, investment and acquisition it will bring innovative products and services to market that allow it to drive continued growth in the core telecommunications market, as well as taking a leading role in new digital services such as entertainment, financial services, M2M, cloud computing and eHealth.