Telecom Lead Europe: 3 Italia, a mobile operator in
Italy, has inked an extension of its network transformation agreement with
Ericsson to upgrade its existing 3G mobile broadband access, core and transport
network to support 42Mbps HSPA and 100Mbps LTE.
The project enables 3 Italia users to benefit from high
speed mobile broadband network with increased speed, coverage, capacity,
performance and services.
Ericsson to power 3 Italia backhaul network upgrade to up
downlink speed to 42Mbps
Recently, Ericsson said it is powering 3 Italia’s backhaul
network upgrade work to enable the operator to offer downlink speeds of up to
42Mbps. Initiated in 2011, Ericsson is upgrading 3 Italia’s network
architecture and helping the operator migrate to a full-IP backhaul and access
architecture.
3 Italia will be the only operator in Italy to offer up
to 42 Mbps downlink coverage and up to 5,76 Mpbs in uplink on all its
nationwide network and have the network ready for commercial launch of 100 Mbps
LTE in 2012.
The partnership includes managed services. The operator
will benefit from improved operational efficiency and reduced costs. The
introduction of LTE services, supported by the Evolved Packet Core (EPC) will
result in users enjoying service of 100Mbps.
We are taking another step toward meeting the demand for
mobile broadband connectivity and services from Italian consumers and
enterprises. We are making HSPA+ coverage available on the entire nationwide
network from the end of March and will launch LTE services already in 2012. Our
network will become even more efficient at handling data traffic, ensuring a
better quality of experience for our customers,” said Vincenzo Novari, 3
Italia’s CEO.
The deal marks another step in the collaboration between
3 Italia and Ericsson, which started in 2001 when 3 Italia chose Ericsson as
the main partner for its 3G core and access technology. In 2005, the operator
assigned Ericsson as exclusive partner for managed services of its
multi-vendor network and telecom IS/IT infrastructure. In 2009, 3 Italia
awarded Ericsson a network transformation deal to upgrade its WCDMA/HSPA
network and extend the managed services deal.
We believe strongly in supporting operators that intend
to remain competitive and are wisely investing in upgrading their networks to
ensure the best possible coverage, capacity and performance for their users. It
is great to help our long-term partner, 3 Italia, continue its transformation
into high-speed mobile broadband and LTE at a time when dynamism and innovation
are so important,” said Nunzio Mirtillo, Ericsson’s head of Region
Mediterranean.
