Companhia de Telecommunicacoes de Macau (CTM) has successfully accommodated the country's rapid economic growth and reinforced its commitment to improved service quality by upgrading its network using Ericsson’s state of the art AXE switching system.
CTM was created from the privatisation of the state-run
telephone network in 1981. It is the sole operator of
Macau’s fixed line network and one of the country’s three
mobile network operators. Prior to the upgrade, CTM’s
fixed line network consisted of around 200,000 local lines
distributed over five Ericsson exchanges. In June 2004,
Ericsson – an established partner of CTM since the
1970s – was given the opportunity to bring the
company’s network into line with Macau’s future needs.
In opting for Ericsson’s AXE solution, CTM has selected
the world's most deployed switching system, installed in
more than 140 countries for both wireline and mobile
operators. CTM stands to gain from AXE’s revenuegenerating
features and its strong performance benefits
for both residential and business customers.
Declan Leong, Head of CTM’s Fixed and International
Business Unit, stresses the importance of the partners’
long-standing relationship: “Ericsson’s local support and
deep knowledge of our network makes them an ideal
partner to modernize our telephony network.”
But it is a relationship built on more than just a good
understanding. The products chosen had to be the right
fit for CTM’s specific requirements, as Declan Leong
explains: “We needed a partner not only to supply us
with best-in-class products, but with the ability to
integrate them in a technically complex environment in a
reliable way – we found these abilities in Ericsson.”
Norman Chan, General Manager Hong Kong and Macau,
Ericsson Hong Kong, also cites the strength of the
partnership as a key factor in the project’s success:
“Ericsson has been and will continue to be a trusted
partner for CTM. We are glad that CTM chose to put
Ericsson’s solutions into the Macau Fixed Network.”
The robust, compact and high-capacity switching system
AXE 810 is introduced with AXE Enabler 1.0, Ericsson’s
latest software product developed specifically for
wireline circuit switching networks. The platform is
optimized for both expansion and node consolidation
with its outstanding capacity and quality characteristics.
In addition, APZ 212 33C provides the necessary
processing capacity for today’s network environment.
Ericsson has now started the deployment of the
Enabler 1.0 in CTM’s fixed line network. Initially, Ericsson
will establish a combined local, tandem and international
exchange based on the AXE 810 platform. In addition,
the Engine Access Ramp will be deployed to replace
the existing remote subscriber units. The solution will
eventually replace CTM’s old exchanges and simplify the
local network.
CTM and Ericsson have already begun to work together
in preparation for the next phase of the network evolution
in Macau, the Next-Generation-Network. The TDMbased
network will evolve to become a packet-based
network, enabling new multi-media services, while also
maintaining full Public Switched Telephone Network
(PSTN) compatibility.
Ericsson and CTM are set to continue their successful
partnership at the forefront of Macau’s economic and
technological expansion for many years to come.
