Ericsson is sole supplier of mobile network expansion in Chile

Ericsson will be the sole supplier for a nationwide GSM/WCDMA/HSPA network expansion and upgrade by leading Chilean operator Entel PCS. The deal builds on earlier Ericsson-Entel contracts and will allow Entel subscribers to access high-speed mobile broadband throughout Chile.

Entel PCS was the first operator in Latin America to introduce GSM, GPRS and HSPA services and currently has more than 5.5 mln subscribers.

Under the three-year agreement, Ericsson will provide GSM/WCDMA/HSPA radio access and common core network equipment to expand and upgrade Entel PCS’s existing mobile network across Chile. Ericsson will also provide a wide range of professional services, including network design, deployment and systems integration. Deliveries will begin in the first quarter of 2008.

Ericsson’s solutions will enable the uptake of mobile broadband throughout Chile and set the stage for the introduction of a suite of innovative new services to Entel PCS clients. The move follows Ericsson’s deployment of Entel PCS’s WCDMA/HSPA network in Chile in December 2006, the first such network in Latin America.