Nokia supplies HSDPA as part of extended, exclusive WCDMA 3G network contract

Latvian mobile operator Latvijas Mobilais Telefons (LMT) has launched the first High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) network in Latvia. The solution, provided by LMT’s sole network supplier Nokia, enables the operator to offer faster mobile data services to its customers and operate its network more cost-efficiently.

“LMT has always been the first to adopt new and promising technologies that benefit our customers and meet their needs. Adopting new technologies is a challenge that can only be met by cooperation with a reliable and proficient supplier like Nokia. Deploying public HSDPA data services in just a few weeks is another example of a well-balanced team that LMT and Nokia have become,” says Juris Binde, President and CEO, Latvijas Mobilais Telefons.

“We are happy to continue our successful cooperation with LMT in Latvia. For LMT, HSDPA is a natural next step towards more advanced networks. The Nokia HSDPA software is easy to deploy and enables LMT to leverage their mobile data opportunities and deliver new mobile broadband services and an enriched user experience to their customers,” says Jan Lindgren, Vice President, Networks, Nokia.

Nokia and LMT have been working together since 1992. Nokia has supplied the HSDPA solution to LMT as part of a frame agreement signed in 2005, and continues as the sole supplier of LMT’s mobile network infrastructure.

In WCDMA 3G, Nokia has 63 customers to date. Nokia’s high-performing HSPA is a simple software upgrade to Nokia WCDMA networks, thus enabling a fast, cost-effective rollout. Nokia HSPA is made up of two key technologies, HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) and HSUPA (High Speed Uplink Packet Access), offering breakthrough data speeds up to 14.4 Mbps in the downlink and up to 5.8 Mbps in the uplink.

Nokia HSDPA offers almost 10-times faster data services than current 3G networks, generating an enhanced service experience. Nokia is a leader in the HSDPA market, with a large number of HSDPA contracts. Many network operators have already opened their HSDPA networks with the Nokia solution.

Ericsson has been selected to upgrade Bite’s 3G network with HSDPA in Lithuania and to build an HSDPA-enabled WCDMA/UMTS network in Latvia. With the upgrade, Bite has boosted its mobile broadband offering, delivering a download speed of up to 3.6Mbps, further breaking new ground in the Baltic region.

Ericsson is delivering commercial HSDPA hardware, software and implementation services. This upgrade to HSDPA has enabled Bite to introduce its customers to a new generation of mobile services, including mobile broadband, mobile TV and mobile music.

Zilvinas Jurksus, CTO of Bite Group, says: “Our customers are driving the evolution of our networks, demanding more advanced services. Choosing Ericsson as supplier allows us to be among the first in the world to launch HSDPA-enabled services and offer our customers mobile broadband with unrivalled transfer speeds. We will satisfy our customers’ needs in this area not only today, but also in the future.”

Stefan Johansson, President, Ericsson Lithuania and Ericsson Latvia, says: “We look forward to cooperating with Bite as it brings this enriched experience to its customers. HSDPA deployments are taking off around the world and we are extremely pleased to power Bite’s HSDPA network in both Lithuania and Latvia.”

Bite has been running its network with HSDPA up to 3.6Mbps in Lithuania since June 7. The HSDPA launch in Latvia will also deliver download speeds up to 3.6Mbps. With the Ericsson HSDPA solution, users are able to download on average eight times faster than the current 3G connection using existing PC cards, and up to 40 times faster than with a GSM/GPRS connection.

At the end of the year, Ericsson’s HSDPA solution will enable peak download speeds of up to 14Mbps. The advanced technology more than triples system capacity and makes response times for interactive services faster.