Latest Ericsson WCDMA launches to accelerate mobile broadband for everyone

By 2021, Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) forecasts that over 90 percent of the world’s population will be covered by WCDMA/HSPA mobile broadband networks.

Today, Ericsson announces three WCDMA solutions that represent a significant step toward realizing the company’s vision of mobile broadband for everyone.

WCDMA Flow of Users, Zero Touch WCDMA and Mobile Broadband Expander enable telecom operators to double WCDMA network performance and to triple operational efficiency, while delivering TCO savings potential of more than 60 percent.

WCDMA Flow of Users

Ericsson WCDMA Flow of Users allows operators to maintain an optimal flow of smartphone users through a 3G/WCDMA network. It uses a defined selection of software features and settings to automatically balance active user count and consumer experience. As a result, operators can maximize smartphone user experience, even during busy traffic-load conditions, while ensuring high-quality voice services.

The solution is already proven in the field, with global operators successfully doubling – or better – their network uplink and downlink throughput performance, while substantially reducing dropped call rates.

Jose Pedro Nascimento, Vice President, Networks, Vivo Brazil, says: “We chose this solution because we could provide a better customer experience as well as better usage of network resources.”

Zero Touch WCDMA

The Zero Touch WCDMA approach industrializes the Flow of Users solution across all features and parameters in a 3G/WCDMA network, resulting in what can be termed a gold standard.

With a gold standard setting based on Ericsson recommendations, a Zero Touch period is introduced in the RAN software upgrade cycle. During the Zero Touch period, there is minimal need for an operator to configure or tune a network, except when dimensioning or expanding coverage. This radically reduces the management effort for a 3G/WCDMA installation, supports faster upgrades, and can triple operational efficiency, along with maintaining high-quality app coverage in both low and high traffic-load scenarios.

Mobile Broadband Expander with Intelligent Antenna Sharing

Currently, hundreds of thousands of legacy 2G/GSM sites can only be upgraded to 3G/WCDMA by adding a complete WCDMA RBS or by completely replacing the GSM site with a GSM and WCDMA site. Ericsson Intelligent Antenna Sharing, the latest addition to Ericsson’s Mobile Broadband Expander concept, removes this requirement by enabling antenna reuse between existing GSM sites and new WCDMA equipment, as well as reuse of site power, microwave and transport infrastructure. Reusing resources in this way can reduce TCO by more than 60 percent compared with building a conventional site, and supports accelerated rollout of 3G technologies.

Analyst Stéphane Téral, Senior Research Director, Mobile Infrastructure and Carrier Economics at IHS Technology, says: “This addresses a very important set of issues that have been difficult to tackle. There are large underserved populations in need of Internet access and this solution resonates well with IHS’ vision and forecast. The re-use of hardware and other efficiencies Ericsson delivers are exactly what is needed to help service providers get the most out of their expenditures.

Arun Bansal, Senior Vice President and Head of Business Unit Radio, Ericsson, says: “The latest Ericsson Mobility Report shows that 20 new mobile broadband subscriptions are activated every second, and will reach 7.7 billion globally by 2021. 3G/WCDMA networks will continue to be the foundation as mobile broadband brings new possibilities to people and industries around the world.

“For operators, capturing this global opportunity requires performance, efficiency and innovation – exactly what Ericsson’s new WCDMA launches deliver. We are committed to broadband for everyone, and in terms of supporting coverage growth, these solutions represent some of the most important additions ever to our portfolio.”

In 2015, there were 3.6 billion mobile broadband subscriptions worldwide, corresponding to a penetration rate of less than 50% of world population. We expect mobile broadband subscriptions to more than double from now to 2021, adding 4.1 Billion new connections worldwide. Increased purchasing power, more affordable devices and lower network production cost are key drivers in bringing mobile broadband to everyone.

Ericsson launches 3 new 3G WCDMA solutions reinforcing company’s vision of mobile broadband for everyone.

Hear more about how the mobile industry is working with diverse stakeholders to develop innovative solutions aimed at connecting the rest of the world to the internet at Mobile World Congress 2016. Sebastian Tolstoy, Head of Marketing & Communication, Ericsson will participate in the GSMA’s panel discussion Innovating for Inclusion on Tuesday, February 23, from 4:45-5:45 p.m. CET in Hall 4, Auditorium 4F.