MTN Ghana and Ericsson Successfully Expand mobile broadband coverage

On 03.09.10, In Uncategorized, by venus

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The African continent is a major emerging market for the mobile industry with its telecommunication and information technology advancing by leaps and bounds. The mobile usage has grown tremendously in few years and the operators and the government are working mutually to enhance their networks to offer superior services to the inhabitants. Moving ahead in the same direction, Ericsson and mobile operator MTN Ghana have together bought the cost efficient mobile broadband coverage to the African nations.

For the first time in Africa, Ericsson and mobile operator MTN Ghana, have successfully trialled UMTS 900 MHz furthering their move to extend mobile broadband coverage especially into suburban, rural and offshore areas, offering coverage up to 200 km. This network expansion will set off the existing UTMS 2100 MHz in the urban areas thus offering enhanced network and coverage of mobile broadband.

The move comes after the MTN Ghana recently deployed Ericsson’s latest MSC-S Blade Cluster in December aiming to increase switching capacity in its mobile network and provide significant cost savings. Collaborating with the country’s operator MTN Ghana, Ericsson had also deployed 3.5G mobile communications and Internet access to the rural areas.

Lars Lindén, President, Ericsson sub-Saharan Africa, says; “By leveraging off their existing installed Ericsson 3G Radio Access Network and enabling UMTS in 900 MHz, not only can voice, video and high speed data calls be carried over the network, but operators benefit from having one network delivering all services with the lowest total cost of ownership.”

Ericsson will now be responsible for access, transport and transmission of 3G UMTS 900 MHz, that it plans to roll-out beginning in the second quarter of 2010. According to GSMA, UMTS 900 increases the coverage per Node-B between 44% (in urban areas) and 119% (rural areas), compared to UMTS 2100.

MTN Ghana CTO, Eben Albertyn says; “Ericsson’s solid position as an established infrastructural provider in the local and international market and the diverse connectivity services they are able to offer MTN Ghana, allows us to continue to grow our network coverage locally as well as into many rural and remote sites – bringing voice and data services to our growing subscribers.”

Image source: julianhewitt

Source: ghanaweb