Taiwan incumbent carrier Chungwha Telecom has selected Nokia Solutions & Networks (NSN) to build its 4G LTE network that is targeted for launch next year.
Under the contract, NSN will implement an LTE Radio Access Network with its Flexi Multiradio Base Stations. Chunghwa Telecom will also expand its 3G network nationwide – a move NSN says will enable smooth 3G and LTE interworking.
NSN will also enable voice services for LTE smartphone users with its circuit-switched fallback (CSFB) technology, which allows an LTE handset to “fall back" to the 3G network to complete circuit-switched calls and SMS alongside LTE mobile broadband data services.
The deal also includes network planning and optimization, system integration, technical consultancy and care services. The operations support system will be based on NSN’s cloud-ready NetAct platform for efficient and flexible network operations, NSN said.
Chungwha Telecom, which has more than 10 million mobile subscribers, is one of the six winners of Taiwan’s LTE spectrum auction in October. The operator paid nearly NT$39.1 billion ($1.3 billion) on spectrum in both 900-MHz (2x10-Mhz) and 1800-MHz (2x25-Mhz) bands.
The company has indicated that it expects to launch commercial 4G services in the second half of 2014, and plans to spend up to NT$40 billion on deploying more than 7,000 base stations to cover at least 96% of the population over the next five years.