In order to enable its subscribers a superior mobile broadband experiences and faster data speed, Idea Cellular has selected Ericsson to deploy its 4G/LTE network and to transform the existing 2G and 3G networks.
The LTE deployment will cover Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, the North-East and Himachal Pradesh, which serve over 40 million subscribers.
The agreement includes equipment, software and a range of professional services, including project management, systems integration and supervisory managed services for 4GLTE across select circles for a period of two years.
Ericsson will install its multi-standard RBS 6000radio base station, which supports GSM/EDGE, WCDMA/HSPA and LTE in a single cabinet and upgrade core network and operations support systems (OSS).
“We are committed to offering our customers the best possible mobile experience. Transforming our 2G and 3G network will enable us to offer optimized mobile data and better smartphone performance, while our LTE deployments will take the customer experience on Idea Cellular’s networks to the next level”, said Himanshu Kapania, CEO, Idea Cellular.
The move will also enable Idea to transform its existing mobile radio access and core network infrastructure across nine circles for 2G and five circles for 3G.
“Ericsson’s technology and services leadership will enable Idea Cellular to transform their 2G and 3G networks and to roll out an LTE network that delivers superior broadband experiences”, said Paolo Colella, Head of Region India, Ericsson
Ericsson is currently 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.