Ericsson and NSN have both announced new LTE customers in key Asia mobile markets.
The Swedish vendor revealed yesterday it has won a supply deal with Japan’s KDDI to provide FDD/LTE gear, its second 4G contracts in Asia this week.
Under the deal, Ericsson will provide a LTE radio access network (RAN) and the Evolved Packet Core (EPC). Ericsson will also provide related services such as network rollout and systems integration. The contract is Ericsson’s first with KDDI covering the RAN, and it is also an LTE supplier to third-placed Japanese operator Softbank.
The deal with KDDI comes a day after Ericsson announced that it has been named as the main supplier for Chunghwa Telecom’s nationwide LTE deployment, including RAN and roll-out services, and is sole supplier of the EPC.
Meanwhile rival NSN – which will also supply LTE gear to Chunghwa Telecom - also made a breakthrough in China’s newly fledged 4G market.
The vendor said it’s been selected by China Telecom - a new customer for its mobile broadband business - as a major partner for the telco’s nationwide LTE rollout.
Under the contract, NSN will implement its Flexi Multiradio 10 base stations and provide network launch optimization, implementation supervision and care services, and intelligent network management.
The China Telecom deal is NSN’s latest LTE win in China. The company is also one of the nine TD-LTE suppliers to China Mobile. NSN claimed that it has won 11% of the market share of China Mobile’s 4G tender.