Japan’s SoftBank has selected Ericsson to upgrade its mobile broadband network. Under the terms of the deal, the Swedish vendor will supply SoftBank with RBS6000 HSPA/LTE multi standard base stations plus rollout services, in a move to upgrade the operator’s network with multi-carrier HSPA technology which provides theoretical peak download speeds up to 42 Mbps. The upgrade, which will start in the first quarter of 2010 and is planned to be completed within 12 months, will be carried out in the most data dense areas in Japan: the Tokyo, Kansai and Tokai (Nagoya) regions. 

Japanese mobile users are among the most advanced in the world when it comes to consuming digital content over mobile networks. They enjoy not only video and music on the move, but also e-mail, banking, shopping, health and security services - and even manga comics.

"We have Japan's largest increase in the number of new mobile subscriptions," says Junichi Miyakawa, Executive Vice President, Director and CTO of Softbank Mobile. "Data traffic is growing rapidly every month. In order to meet this increased demand and to ensure continued user quality, we have decided to invest in an upgrade of our mobile broadband network."

Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) is selected as the main supplier to upgrade Softbank Mobile's network. Ericsson is delivering RBS6000 HSPA/LTE multi standard base stations and the rollout services to upgrade the network with multi-carrier HSPA technology which provides network speeds up to 42Mbps for the most data dense areas in Japan: the Tokyo, Kansai and Tokai (Nagoya) regions.

Fredrik Alatalo, President of Ericsson Japan, says: "Ericsson is proud to have been selected by Softbank Mobile for this important project. To satisfy Softbank Mobile's demanding consumers, who want to use the latest internet applications on mobile phones, is a challenge, especially in the most traffic dense areas like Tokyo. Our mission is to ensure our long-lasting partner Softbank Mobile a network that provides efficient and attractive services for advanced consumers."
The upgrade starts in the first quarter of 2010 and is planned to be completed within the year.

Ericsson is the world's leading provider of technology and services to telecom operators. Ericsson is the leader in 2G, 3G and 4G mobile technologies, and provides support for networks with over 2 billion subscribers and has the leading position in managed services. The company's portfolio comprises mobile and fixed network infrastructure, telecom services, software, broadband and multimedia solutions for operators, enterprises and the media industry. The Sony Ericsson and ST-Ericsson joint ventures provide consumers with feature-rich personal mobile devices. 

Ericsson is advancing its vision of being the "prime driver in an all-communicating world" through innovation, technology, and sustainable business solutions. Working in 175 countries, more than 80,000 employees generated revenue of SEK 206.5 billion (USD 27.1 billion) in 2009. Founded in 1876 with the headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden, Ericsson is listed on OMX NASDAQ, Stockholm and NASDAQ New York.
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