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Telekom Austria has signed a multi-standard radio access network contract with Ericsson. The vendor will upgrade 2G and 3G mobile networks and also provide the latest LTE technology for Telekom Austria's subsidiaries, A1 in Austria and Vipnet in Croatia. The rollout of Ericsson’s flexible 2G/3G/4G RAN solution, featuring the RBS 6000 multi-standard base stations, has already started. Deployment will enable A1 and Vipnet to continue to meet user demand for faster mobile broadband services.

Telekom Austria Group is the leading telecom provider in Central and Eastern Europe with approximately 23 million customers. Soon, its users in Austria and Croatia will benefit from a smoother, faster user experience when accessing data-rich services such as video, games and music, as well as loading web pages and transferring files. This is thanks to Telekom Austria Group's decision to sign a multi-standard radio access network contract with Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC), which extends the long-standing partnership between the two companies. Multi-standard radio networks allow telecommunication providers to operate multiple mobile communications standards on a single network.

Ericsson will upgrade the 2G and 3G mobile networks and also provide the latest LTE technology for Telekom Austria Group's subsidiaries A1 in Austria and Vipnet in Croatia. Rollout has already started.
Thanks to the provision of LTE, A1 and Vipnet can continue to meet user demand for a smoother, faster mobile broadband experience. The operators will also benefit from having a flexible 2G/3G/4G RAN solution underpinned by RBS 6000 multi-standard base stations.

Hans Pichler, Group Chief Technology Officer, Telekom Austria Group, says: "Our users always come first and that's why we're so committed to continue enhancing the customer experience for our subscribers. We felt confident in deciding for Ericsson, already our supplier of 2G and 3G. We will be happy to see our subscribers in Austria and Croatia reap immediate benefits from having access to the latest network technologies."

Emil Nilsson, Vice President for Central Europe at Ericsson, says: "Mobile broadband plays an important role in improving daily life and this deal is in line with our mission to help provide this service to as many people as possible, thereby enabling the Networked Society. Telekom Austria Group is a long-standing partner and we are excited to help it provide its users with the best possible 2G/3G/4G services."
With this contract, Ericsson maintains its leading position in LTE and mobile broadband, currently providing coverage for 305 million of the 455 million global LTE population.