Ericsson Worldwide

Joint innovation center opened in Madrid, Spain, to boost development and innovation within radio access technologies

Focus on efficiency and service quality to Vodafone customers worldwide

Vodafone Ericsson Radio Innovation Centre is equipped with the latest radio technologies from Ericsson, to accelerate the development of state-of-the-art radio access technologies. The innovation center’s primary focus is to deliver innovation over 2G and 3G radio networks, with particular attention given to the improvement of the service and quality provided to Vodafone customers worldwide via Ericsson's wireless networks.

The innovation center will speed up the development of advanced 2G and 3G network solutions, and securing the delivery of superior mobile voice and broadband services. 2G advanced technologies continue to be important in emerging markets where 2G networks can be dominant.

"Vodafone Ericsson Radio Innovation Centre will play a key role in developing more efficient and more effective radio access technologies," said Andy MacLeod, Vodafone Director of Group Networks. "Setting up a joint innovation centre with Ericsson will assist us in delivering services that ensure a great user experience for all Vodafone customers."

"In this innovation center, two global companies with long-term experience of mobile networks join forces to provide the optimized performance and network efficiency in mobile networks. We are delighted to work with Vodafone in this area, developing solutions that drive the industry forward" said Ulf Ewaldsson, Vice President and Head of Product Area Radio in Ericsson.

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About Vodafone

Vodafone is the world's leading international mobile communications group with approximately 333 million proportionate customers as at 31 December 2009. Vodafone currently has equity interests in 31 countries across five continents and around 40 partner networks worldwide. For more information, please visit www.vodafone.com.

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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 1 billion subscribers and has a leading position in managed services. The company’s portfolio comprises of 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 "to be the prime driver in an all-communicating world" through innovation, technology, and sustainable business solutions. Working in 175 countries, more than 75,000 employees generated revenue of SEK 209 billion (USD 32.2 billion) in 2008. Founded in 1876 with the headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden, Ericsson is listed on OMX NASDAQ, Stockholm and NASDAQ New York.