Ericsson has won a five-year contract with Mobile Broadband Network, M BILLIONL, a joint venture between 3 UK and T-Mobile UK, to provide services to complete the integration of their networks. Datamonitor estimates the value of the contract to be approximately $125m.
It will also be responsible for 3G radio access networks, RAN, and T-Mobile’s 2G access network, including design and deployment. It will also reduce the number of radio sites from approximately 18,000 to 13,000. It will also undertake the acquisition and building of new sites, capacity management, equipment swaps, and upgrades to transmission facilities.
Approximately 220 employees from T-Mobile have been transferred to Ericsson. The deal is the seventh managed services contract announced in the UK by the company. In November 2008, it won a managed services contract from M BILLIONL for the operation of the integrated 3G networks and T-Mobile’s 2G network.
Emin Gurdenli, chief technology officer at T-Mobile UK, said: Our partnership with Ericsson will accelerate network integration activities to achieve our goal of creating the UK’s most extensive 3G network by 2010, providing consumers across the UK access to 3G services. The provision of universal access to high-speed broadband services by 2012 is the centerpiece of the Government’s Digital Britain report.
