Ericsson to be sole supplier for Israeli operator Partner

Ericsson has been selected by Israeli mobile operator Partner Communications to replace and expand its WCDMA/HSPA equipment. The deal sees Ericsson become the sole vendor of Partner’s GSM and WCDMA/HSPA core and radio network.

Under the agreement, Ericsson will provide a full swap of 1400 base stations, expanding the capacity of channel elements for voice and data to support speeds of up to 14.4Mbps. Ericsson will also provide a wide range of professional services, including business consulting, deployment and integration. Ericsson will support and maintain other Ericsson elements in Partner’s network as well.

The deal reinforces Ericsson’s leading position as the supplier of WCDMA/HSPA technology in Israel and is expected to lead to higher operational and technological efficiency and to result in cost reductions for Partner Communications. The system deployment has started and is set to be completed by July 2011.

Partner Communications Company Ltd is a leading Israeli mobile communications operator providing GSM/GPRS/UMTS/HSPA services and wireless applications under the orange brand to 2.79 mln subscribers. Partner is a subsidiary of Hutchison Telecommunications International, a leading global provider of telecom services in Hong Kong, with mobile services in Israel, Macau, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Ghana, Vietnam and Indonesia. It was the first provider of 3G mobile services in Hong Kong and Israel and operates brands including Hutch, 3 and orange.