European Mobile Markets

Sunday, 11 November 2012

West Europe MNO profiles

The following West Europe operations are tracked by The Europe MNO Directory 2012:

(also see East Europe networks)

Andorra

Mobiland, STA - Servei de Telecomunicacions d'Andorra

Austria

Belgium

Denmark

Faroese Islands

Finland

France

Germany

Gibraltar

GibTel, Gibtelecom Limited

Greece

Greenland

TELE Greenland, TELE Greenland A/S

Guernsey

Iceland

Ireland

Isle of Man

Italy

Jersey

Liechtenstein

Luxembourg

Malta

Monaco

Monaco Telecom, Monaco Telecom

Netherlands

Norway

Poland

Portugal

San Marino

SMT, San Marino Telecom SPA

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

United Kingdom

East Europe MNO profiles

The following East Europe operations are tracked by The Europe MNO Directory 2012:

(also see West Europe networks)

Abkhazia

Albania

Armenia

Azerbaijan

Belarus

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bulgaria

Croatia

Czech Republic

Estonia

Georgia

Hungary

Kosovo

Kyrgyzstan

Latvia

Lithuania

Macedonia

Moldova

Moldova (Transdniester)

IDC, CJSC Interdnestrcom

Montenegro

Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)

KT, Karabakh Telecom (KT)

Republic of South Ossetia

Ostelekom, Ostelekom

Romania

Russia

Serbia

Slovakia

Slovenia

Tajikistan

Turkmenistan

TM Cell, Altyn Asyr

Ukraine

Wednesday, 29 February 2012

Closing of the transaction to transfer responsibility for the Norwegian nationwide TETRA Nødnett project to Motorola Solutions, Inc. completed | Nokia Siemens Networks

Closing of the transaction to transfer responsibility for the Norwegian nationwide TETRA Nødnett project to Motorola Solutions, Inc. completed | Nokia Siemens Networks:

Nokia Siemens Networks and Motorola Solutions, a leading provider of mission-critical communications solutions, have completed the transaction to transfer responsibility for the Norwegian nationwide TETRA Nødnett project including the transfer of 25 employees from Nokia Siemens Networks in Norway to Motorola Solutions.

The signing of the agreement to transfer responsibility for the Nødnett project including associated employees was announced earlier this year on January 11.

All regulatory approvals, including Norwegian government approval, have been obtained, and Motorola Solutions has assumed responsibility for the continued roll out, implementation and operation of the nationwide Nødnett network for Norway´s public safety agencies with immediate effect.

Telefónica - Press Office - Press room home - Telefónica and Mozilla pioneer first Open Web Devices

Telefónica - Press Office - Press room home - Telefónica and Mozilla pioneer first Open Web Devices:

Mobile World Congress, Barcelona, 27 February2012–Telefónica Digital and Mozilla today unveiled an ambitious strategy to create a new mobile platform that will deliver the first HTML5 based devices running on the open Web. The Open Web Devices platform (OWD), which will launch in 2012,is an important step forward in the establishment of HTML5 as the next major ecosystem for smartphones, and will enable the delivery of smartphone capabilities at low price points.

Telefónica Digital’s product development and innovation team has worked closely together with Mozilla, the pioneers of open Web standards, to create a new phone architecture that relies entirely on the Web, enabling HTML 5 applications with absolute access to core phone APIs. This means that all of the device’s capabilities (calling, messaging, browsing, games etc) can be developed as HTML5 applications and executed via an experience based on the Firefox Web browser.

Despite the significant gains in performance for Web Technologies on mobile devices, HTML and JavaScript-based applications have had limited access to the device’s underlying capabilities. This platform will lead the evolution of the HTML5 set of standards to add new software APIs that are as broad and functionally rich as their native counterparts.

Mozilla’s Boot to Gecko Project unlocks the current limitations of Web development for mobile by providing new features and APIs that will demonstrate just how powerful HTML5 can be and that it is possible to run an entire device using this technology. In doing so it is possible to remove much of the middleware and other superfluous software on a device which not only makes the applications run faster, but also brings down the device unit cost.

Because of this initiative’s commitment to openness, this reference implementation will be submitted for standardization to W3C. The objective is that there are no proprietary APIs within the device architecture, making phones developed using it the only truly open devices on the market.

Telefónica and Mozilla are developing this HTML5 operating system on a hardware platform that is based upon a Qualcomm chipset. The three companies will be collaborating to deliver a feature rich prototype platform that will enable smartphone capabilities at feature phone entry level pricing.

An operating system based on HTML5 offers significant opportunities for application developers, content owners and service providers, both in terms of enabling new capabilities, as well as making it easier to develop, deploy and maintain their applications.

According to Carlos Domingo, Director of Product Development & Innovation at Telefónica Digital: 'Telefónica's objective is to drive HTML5 adoption across the industry. For the first time the capabilities of HTML5 and the open Web have been fully leveraged to create an entirely new mobile platform. From our experience in Latin America we know that a huge part of the market is not being catered for by current smartphones. With new open Web devices we will be able to offer a smartphone experience at the right price point for these customers.'

'It has long been our mission to deliver advanced Web technologies that eliminate roadblocks for users and developers. We did it first with Firefox, and now we’re doing it again in creating the first Open Web Devices,' said Brendan Eich, CTO,Mozilla. 'By providing the missing links, Mozilla is now unlocking the power of the Web as the platform for creating and consuming rich content everywhere.'

Arno Gourdol, Senior Director, Web Platform & Authoring at Adobe, which supports the project, said, 'Adobe is pleased to see Telefonica and Mozilla launch this new initiative.We continue to invest in HTML5 products and technologies and support standards bodies like the W3C. The Open Web Devices APIs can be supported as extensions to PhoneGap, enabling developers to create rich HTML5 apps that work across these new Open Web Devices and all of the platforms supported by PhoneGap, including Android, BlackBerry, iOS and Windows Phone.'

Vodafone and Visa Announce World’s Largest Mobile Payments Partnership - Vodafone

Vodafone and Visa Announce World’s Largest Mobile Payments Partnership - Vodafone:

Vodafone and Visa today announced a worldwide partnership to enable consumers to pay for goods and services using their mobile phones instead of coins and banknotes.

The companies will work together to develop a Vodafone-brandedproposition that will be offered to consumers across Vodafone’s 398-million customer base in more than 30 countries across five continents, enabled by Visa’s outstanding payment network, product suite and brand. The partnership - the largest of its kind between a global payment network and mobile operator - combines the companies’ global reach and expertise to bring Visa payment functionality to consumers around the world.

The new Vodafone mobile paymentproposition announced with Visa will be based onthe Visa prepaid account and offered to consumers in partnership with Visa Issuers. The service will initially be launched in Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Turkey, and the UK, starting in the coming financial year. Other countries within Vodafone's global portfolio will follow.

In addition to the Vodafone-branded stored value account inside the mobile wallet, Vodafone and Visa will work together to enable Visa Issuers for mobile payments globally. The platform will be open to all partners of all relevant industries, including financial institutions, retailers, transport and utility companies to host their services within an innovative new Vodafone mobile wallet.

Vittorio Colao, Group Chief Executive Officer of Vodafone, said: “The Vodafone mobile wallet represents the next stage of the smartphone revolution. It offers our customers the speed, simplicity and convenience of managing their everyday transactions with a single wave or tap of their smartphone, using innovative and reliable services developed by Vodafone and Visa - technology and providers they can trust. Our mobile wallet will be open to any service provider and we are committed to enable all partners to provide our joint customers the richest service portfolio possible."

In developed countries across Europe, North America and Australia, with a mature infrastructure for electronic payments, users of the Vodafone stored value account will be able to make purchases at the-point-of sale using Near Field Communications (NFC) enabled smartphones equipped with Visa payWave for mobile, Visa’s fast and secure mobile payment technology. By simply waving their smartphone in front of a payment terminal, consumers will be able to make simple, every day purchases such as bus and train tickets, newspapers, magazines or a morning coffee. Consumers will also be able to make high value purchases securely using a passcode.

Peter Ayliffe, CEO of Visa Europe, said: "Our partnershipwith Vodafone represents a huge stride forwardfor mobile payments. Visa’s future of payments initiative is more thanjust a promise: these services arereal, tangible and coming to the mainstream consumer market in the very near future. Any Visa Issuer across these key markets will be able to work with Visa and Vodafoneto enable mobile payments for their customers, backed by all the security, trust and global acceptance the Visa brand represents."

“The convergence of global payment networks, such as VisaNet, with leading mobile telecommunication networks, such as Vodafone, has the potential to transform the way people pay and get paid the world over,” said John Partridge, President, Visa Inc. “Visa’s relationship with Vodafone will assist financial institutions in both developed and developing countries to offer Visa-quality payments to new and existing account holders.”

Wednesday, 8 February 2012

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.

Thursday, 2 February 2012

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.

Monday, 23 January 2012

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.

Wednesday, 11 January 2012

MegaFon customers to enjoy enhanced mobile services | Nokia Siemens Networks

MegaFon customers to enjoy enhanced mobile services | Nokia Siemens Networks:

Operator selects Nokia Siemens Networks to improve network performance, energy efficiency and prepare for LTE

Customers of MegaFon in Moscow will soon enjoy new services, faster, more reliable connections and improved coverage with better network performance. The leading operator in Russia has selected Nokia Siemens Networks’ Single RAN (radio access network) platform to modernize its GSM network in the Moscow region. This platform will improve network performance, energy efficiency, and reduce capital and operating costs for MegaFon. In addition, the multi-technology platform paves the way for a smooth transition to Long Term Evolution (LTE) providing 4G services.

“We wanted to further improve the quality of service for our customers with the existing network. We also wanted to make our network LTE-ready, so that we will be able to launch ultra-fast mobile broadband services cost efficiently in the near future,” said Andrey Kurdanov, director of MegaFon - Moscow branch. “We found Nokia Siemens Networks’ Single Radio Access Network platform fulfilling all these requirements. In addition, the company’s multi-band platform will allow us to roll out LTE services, efficiently utilizing different frequency bands. This will help us position ourselves as an innovation leader in the country.”

“Constantly improving the quality of experience by providing improved speed, network coverage and new data-intensive services is very important for operators such as MegaFon. What is equally important is doing so cost effectively with flexible, scalable, energy-efficient radio access network,” said Alexey Podryabinnikov, head of customer team MegaFon at Nokia Siemens Networks. “Our radio access platform allows more data to travel faster, and is future proof to help MegaFon get the most out of its investments today and tomorrow.”

Under the modernization contract, Nokia Siemens Networks will provide its Single RAN platform based on its award-winning, compact, energy-efficient Flexi Multiradio Base Station*. This platform will replace MegaFon’s existing radio access platforms, including UltraSite, MetroSite and Flexi EDGE base stations from Nokia Siemens Networks. This multi-technology platform is able to run GSM, High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) and LTE, and can be defined to roll out a particular technology with a simple software update.

Monday, 9 January 2012

Expanding Partner Markets to Drive International Growth - Vodafone

Expanding Partner Markets to Drive International Growth - Vodafone:

Expanding Partner Markets to Drive International Growth

09 January 2012

12 Partner Market agreements in six months extend international reach of Vodafone brand

SFR relationship fully operational

New partner market relationship established in French Polynesia

Vodafone today marked the tenth anniversary of its Partner Markets division by unveiling plans to further expand its international presence through mobile operator relationships across the widest possible geographic footprint.

In the last six months alone, Vodafone has established or renewed agreements with 12 companies including SFR and members of the Conexus Mobile Alliance in the Asia-Pacific region. Vodafone Partner Markets now intends to further expand into Asia and South America in 2012 and beyond to meet the growing demand among multinational businesses for sophisticated voice and data communications solutions as well as advanced roaming services.

Separately, Vodafone also announced that its partner market relationship with SFR in France is fully operational and unveiled a new strategic partnership with Pacific Mobile Telecom of French Polynesia, extending the Vodafone brand to one of the most remote territories in the Asia-Pacific region.

Vodafone Partner Markets CEO Ravinder Takkar said: “Over the past ten years, Vodafone has entered into partnerships with mobile operators in more than 40 markets. These strategic relationships are good for partners and good for customers. They offer the best of Vodafone's scale and global expertise combined with our partners' market knowledge and experience. Our Partner Markets division has grown rapidly in recent years, and we look forward to further expansion into emerging markets.”

Vodafone and SFR entered into a Partner Market agreement in June 2011 after the sale of Vodafone’s 44% stake in SFR to Vivendi. The two companies will also jointly source and deploy a full range of products and services targeted at enterprise markets.

SFR Business Team CEO Pierre Barnabé said: “This is the extension of the long-standing partnership with Vodafone. Together, we will manage the global requirements of French multinational companies at a time when effective communications are becoming ever more important in determining business success.”

Tahiti-based Pacific Mobile Telecom is a new start-up operator which will now adopt the Vodafone global brand as it establishes a new 3G network in French Polynesia - a market which until now has had only one incumbent telecommunications company.

Pacific Mobile Telecom President Albert Moux said: “With dedicated support from Vodafone, we plan an aggressive network rollout and intend to be fully operational within one year. As the in-country challenger, we believe that rapid growth can be achieved with a high-quality network, attractive retail offers and excellent products and services, all underpinned by the Vodafone brand.”

Vodafone Partner Markets are a series of strategic alliances between Vodafone Group and local mobile network operators which Vodafone does not own. The agreements offer Vodafone customers simple and reliable connectivity when roaming internationally, with consistent and familiar access to Vodafone services worldwide. Partner Markets agreements vary from full Vodafone branding arrangements under licence through to product branding, roaming and service resale agreements.

Thursday, 22 December 2011

PLUS Communication now offers nationwide high-quality, consistent services | Nokia Siemens Networks

PLUS Communication now offers nationwide high-quality, consistent services | Nokia Siemens Networks:

Nokia Siemens Networks extends coverage of operator’s GSM/EDGE radio and core network under three-year frame agreement

PLUS Communication sh.a, the latest telecom entrant in Albania, now offers high-quality voice and data services across the country, allowing users to retain their existing phone numbers when switching to its services. The operator has increased the geographical coverage of its 3G-ready GSM/EDGE radio and core nework supplied by Nokia Siemens Networks to more than 85% and implemented mobile number portability.

PLUS Communication launched its telecom operations in November 2010. The Authority of Electronic and Postal Communications, the Albanian telecommunications regulator, has validated the network coverage and the high quality of service (QoS).

“PLUS Communication is focused on developing the mobile broadband market in Albania and offering a superior experience to our subscribers. With Nokia Siemens Networks’ world-class equipment and speedy implementation, we have been able to provide uninterrupted, high-quality voice and data services to nearly all parts of the country. We are now looking forward to completing the network deployment and reaching out to the underserved areas of Albania,” said Moni Buchnik, chief executive officer, PLUS Communication.

“Drawing on our experience of rapid and cost-effective network deployments across the world, we were able to build PLUS Communication’s network in record time. In line with the operator’s endeavor to become the service provider of choice in Albania, we continue to ensure the quality of service remains high,” said João Picoito, head of South East Europe region, Nokia Siemens Networks.

Under the three-year frame agreement*, Nokia Siemens Networks is supplying complete 3G-ready GSM/EDGE radio access as well as packet and circuit switched core network, including its award-winning, energy-efficient Flexi Multiradio Base Station. It is also providing a full range of services including network design, implementation, maintenance and care, as well as its NetAct network management system to monitor, manage and optimize the operator’s network.

Improved mobile broadband coverage, faster data speeds for Polkomtel subscribers | Nokia Siemens Networks

Improved mobile broadband coverage, faster data speeds for Polkomtel subscribers | Nokia Siemens Networks:

Polkomtel S.A., Poland’s leading mobile operator, now offers improved mobile broadband services with better indoor coverage and wider reach beyond the country’s big cities. Nokia Siemens Networks has modernized the operator’s GSM network and expanded its 3G/HSPA+ network to enable new services using the 900 MHz frequency band. Nokia Siemens Networks also upgraded Polkomtel’s packet core network to the latest ATCA* technology for faster roll-out of advanced data services.

As part of the contract, Nokia Siemens Networks also enabled radio access network sharing between Polkomtel and Aero2, another Polish telecom operator, which will save costs for both operators.

“It is very important for Polkomtel to extend mobile broadband access to all parts of the country and to offer services and applications that will benefit both people and businesses,” said Jaroslaw Bauc, member of the Polkomtel Board. “With Nokia Siemens Networks, we successfully launched new 3G/HSPA+ services by using a 900 MHz band refarming solution as a supplement to our existing 2.1 GHz services. This resulted in improved coverage and quality of our mobile broadband offering.”

In just four weeks, Nokia Siemens Networks deployed 500 Flexi Multiradio Base Stations, part of its LTE-ready Single RAN (radio access network) solution. It also enabled existing GSM sites to be reused without requiring any additional external combiners, filters or dedicated antennas, thereby saving costs while maintaining GSM quality and capacity. In addition, the contract includes the ATCA-based Flexi Network Server, part of the Nokia Siemens Networks Liquid Core architecture. It provides high transaction capacity to accommodate increased signaling load and ensures a seamless evolution to 4G.

Nokia Siemens Networks’ NetAct network management system will ensure optimal monitoring and management of the GSM and 3G/HSPA+ networks as well as the multi-operator core network (MOCN). Nokia Siemens Networks provided a range of services to Polkomtel such as network implementation, integration, and a full set of care services including hardware and software maintenance and competence development.

“By using spectrum in the 900 MHz band, operators can extend mobile broadband to rural areas and offer improved indoor coverage, where most data consumption takes place,” said Radomir Grucza, head of Nokia Siemens Networks in Poland. “In addition, using the 900 MHz band saves implementation and operation costs due to lower hardware requirements. Operators can thus offer high-quality experience to their customers without having to make significant hardware investments.”

To share your thoughts on the topic, join the discussion on Twitter using #mobilebroadband.

Wednesday, 21 December 2011

Swisscom users to benefit from LTE and mobile-network modernization - Ericsson

Swisscom users to benefit from LTE and mobile-network modernization - Ericsson:

December 21, 2011

Swisscom, Switzerland's largest mobile and fixed operator, extends its partnership with Ericsson for mobile-network modernization and upgrade to LTE

Modernization will cater for future mobile-data growth, expected to double every twelve months

As part of the five-year contract, Ericsson will modernize 6,000 mobile sites and optimize networks

Swiss consumers are enjoying data-rich services like never before. With mobile-data usage expected to double during the year, Swisscom has entered into a five-year contract with Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) for mobile-network modernization and upgrade to LTE. The deal will ensure that Swisscom can continue to offer its users the best possible network in the most efficient way.

Ericsson will modernize 6,000 mobile sites with its RBS 6000 multi-standard radio base stations and optimize all of Swisscom's networks. The operator's mobile-data users all over the country - and especially those living in areas where traffic is dense, such as in inner cities - will benefit from faster speeds as a result.

By making Ericsson the sole supplier for the modernization of its existing mobile-core and radio network, and the introduction of LTE, Swisscom extends its existing partnership, in which Ericsson has been the sole 2G, 3G radio and main mobile core supplier.

Heinz Herren, Head of Network & IT, Swisscom, says: "By continuing to provide our subscribers with the best network possible while meeting the growing usage of mobile data, we will invest several hundred million Swiss Francs in mobile-network modernization over the next five years. Thanks to our long-lasting partnership, we are familiar with Ericsson's expertise in deploying new technologies, and we have already established processes that will allow us to make savings in this project."

Anders Runevad, Head of Region Western & Central Europe at Ericsson says: "We are pleased to help Swisscom introduce LTE and allow its users to enjoy the benefits of LTE on their smartphones, laptops and tablets. As Ericsson sees mobility and broadband as pillars of the Networked Society, in which everyone and everything is connected, this extended partnership marks yet another step towards realizing that vision."

Under the five-year contract, Ericsson will deliver core network, multi-standard radio base stations for 2G, 3G and 4G, as well as related installation services for the swap of the existing infrastructure. This includes software, hardware and the introduction of small cells, mostly in traffic-dense areas. With this deployment Swisscom will have GSM, WCDMA and LTE access networks. A key component in the core network is therefore Ericsson's SGSN-MME node, which supports all three access technologies.The rollout will start in January 2012 and all mobile sites will be modernized by mid 2014.

Tuesday, 13 December 2011

Virgin Media, UK’s Leading Quad-Play Provider, Selects Amdocs to Consolidate Network Inventory

ST. LOUIS - December 13, 2011 - Amdocs (NYSE: DOX), the leading provider of customer experience systems, today announced that Virgin Media, the UK's leading digital entertainment provider, has selected Amdocs to evolve its network inventory management systems. Amdocs will be responsible for the project's overall system integration, end-to-end implementation, and program management. The Amdocs OSS inventory solution, delivered with Amdocs' consulting and implementation services, will enable Virgin Media to improve network design, planning and assurance, giving increased customer service levels.

Using the Amdocs CES inventory management products and by re-engineering several key business processes such as data reconciliation, Virgin Media will be able to centralize and integrate logical network assets (such as VPNs) and physical assets (such as switches and ports) in its inventory management systems to provide accurate, real-time inventory data in a single location. In addition, the new system, that includes network capacity management, will provide detailed capacity reporting. As a result, Virgin Media will be able to further improve customer order processing, fault management, change control auditing, and more efficiently choose and plan the right uplifts in overall capacity.

"As a result of this project, Amdocs will help us to avoid congestion, reduce order fallout and shorten outages, providing our customers with a better quality of service at a competitive price," said Paul Buttery, Virgin Media's chief customer, technology and networks officer. "We will also be able to achieve cost savings by obtaining a clearer picture of our other licensed operator (OLO) purchasing patterns."

"With the data capacity crunch affecting networks worldwide, Virgin Media has taken an important step to improve its ability to provide effective planning and resourcing to give their customers a differentiated customer experience,” said Rebecca Prudhomme, Amdocs vice president for product and solutions marketing. "With the new system, they will deliver the right experience for their customers with improved sales, provisioning and assurance.”

Virgin Media was the UK's first quad-play provider of broadband, TV, phone and mobile, and is the UK's only telecom provider with a nationwide, fiber-optic, next generation network.

Thursday, 8 December 2011

AdaptiveMobile launches next generation Network Protection Platform

AdaptiveMobile launches next generation Network Protection Platform:

- AdaptiveMobile, the world leader in mobile security, today announces the launch of its next generation multi-bearer Network Protection Platform(NPP), offering new security capabilities for hosted corporate offerings, secure machine to machine services and dynamic network-wide visibility of real-time threats affecting subscribers, delivering up to 300% increased return on hardware investment. AdaptiveMobile’s NPP will enable mobile and fixed operators throughout the world to ensure their customers have an enhanced level of protection from the ever-changing mobile security risks associated with the rising popularity of smartphones, tablet and other 3G-connected devices.

Release 4 of AdaptiveMobile’s Network Protection Platform offers operators:

Greater control over content services delivered across their network:

Operators can provide greater control to their subscribers over value-added content services, to prevent spam and malware from social media sites over SMS; and meet stricter regulatory controls over unsolicited messaging.

Blending local and global mobile threat protection:

Responding to the hyper-local SMS spam and mobile fraud campaigns, Release 4 provides automated in-network tuning and signature creation, supported by global collection, analysis and fingerprinting of SMS, IM and malware threats.

Scale for LTE and Fixed Line Carriers:

Delivering the capacity to scale through 40Gb and beyond and leverage investments made in DPI infrastructure while still maintaining the individual policy and behavioural analysis necessary to identify and remediate the sources of abuse, and provide parents and individuals with control over their own online experience.

Real-time threat dashboards:

Giving operators the tools to identify and act upon the sources of threats within their network, giving real-time control of frauds and spam.

Corporate Security As A Service

: Allowing operators to offer fixed and mobile SecAAS to their corporate users to meet industry regulation, and retain key corporate accounts.

Machine to Machine Security

: Providing operators with network-centric security to protect embedded device networks and applications from unauthorised access, command and control messages and security attacks.

“With operators’ networks now the gateway to voice, text and data communications, it is critical they do everything within their power to keep their customers safe from the increasing number of sophisticated mobile security risks,” says Gareth Maclachlan, Chief Operating Officer, AdaptiveMobile. “It has become clear that a ‘piecemeal’ or client-centric approach to protecting networks and subscribers is simply no longer sufficient and with many operators now handling machine to machine data traffic in addition to the consumer and corporate data services, only our holistic, multi-bearer approach to security can provide complete peace of mind.”

Nokia Siemens Networks launches industry’s first TD-LTE ‘6 pipes’ remote radio head | Nokia Siemens Networks

Nokia Siemens Networks launches industry’s first TD-LTE ‘6 pipes’ remote radio head | Nokia Siemens Networks:

Nokia Siemens Networks has introduced a Liquid Radio-based ‘6 pipes’ remote radio head* that uses the company’s unique pipe approach to offer unprecedented flexibility in delivering TD-LTE.

“Our new, high-capacity 6 pipes remote radio head is a great addition to our TD-LTE RAN (Radio Access Network) portfolio and promises to take the TD-LTE experience to the next level,” said Tommi Uitto, head of the LTE radio access business line at Nokia Siemens Networks. “In addition to enabling a more flexible approach to TD-LTE, the new product delivers much higher throughput and lower latency than other offerings, to enable higher data speeds. Subscribers can thus enjoy the same level of mobile broadband, anywhere and everywhere, no matter what applications they’re using.”

By covering three sectors with a single radio head**, operators can reduce site costs by up to one-third. It is the first remote radio head that can support a 6-sector TD-LTE site to deliver 80% more capacity and 40% more coverage as compared to traditional 3-sector sites. This enables higher data speeds, and reduces total cost of ownership by 40%.

Nokia Siemens Networks’ pipe concept offers a cost-effective, future-proof alternative to the current ‘path’-based approaches, allowing more flexible allocation of sectors, carriers and transmit and receive channels by a base station. It can do multiple configurations, starting with a simple, low-cost, 3-sector site configuration and scaling to a high-capacity, 6-sector site configuration, when needed. Further, a simple software upgrade offers a smooth evolution path to LTE-Advanced.

Nokia Siemens Networks’ 6 pipes remote radio head is based on the company’s Liquid Radio*** architecture, which self-adapts coverage and capacity based on subscriber demand. The offering’s unique 6 pipes beamforming feature mitigates signal loss due to interference****. This helps deliver up to 50% higher data speeds and improved coverage, compared to 4 path radio heads, for subscribers in high-density areas, both indoors and outdoors. This feature also eliminates the need for additional sites, and reduces CAPEX, OPEX and site costs.

The offering is 3GPP standardized and is now commercially available globally.

Nokia Siemens Networks triples CDMA base station capacity | Nokia Siemens Networks

Nokia Siemens Networks triples CDMA base station capacity | Nokia Siemens Networks:

1X Advanced feature for CDMA2000 offers superior voice quality, expands data services

A new feature from Nokia Siemens Networks allows CDMA operators to offer significantly improved voice quality and coverage, and expand their mobile broadband services, while protecting their network investments. Nokia Siemens Networks is expanding its CDMA2000 portfolio with the launch of 1X Advanced technology, which can triple existing base station capacity when fully implemented. Operators can use this additional capacity to handle much greater volumes of voice or data traffic in dense metros or to improve coverage.

Nokia Siemens Networks’ 1X Advanced feature can expand base station capacity in a more energy efficient and cost effective manner. The company’s 1X Advanced capable equipment is more power efficient for a given amount of traffic than existing 1X solutions. Implementation is economical, with a simple board upgrade to the existing base-station. Operators will be able to realize even greater performance with future software upgrades.

“We see 1X Advanced as the next step in the evolution of CDMA2000, and are fully committed to investing and building our capabilities in this technology,” says Scott Mottonen, head of the CDMA/LTE business line at Nokia Siemens Networks. “As subscriber demand can be quite extreme and variable over time, CDMA operators must be able to improve network performance while keeping costs low. 1X Advanced satisfies this need by offering a cost-effective upgrade of existing network assets, while vastly enhancing quality of experience.”

Nokia Siemens Networks’ 1X Advanced capable equipment will be commercially available by the end of 2011.