Ericsson's LTE Network in Finland

Recently, Ericsson (ERIC) was selected by Finnish telecom company DNA for supplying a new, nationwide LTE (Long Term Evolution) 800 MHz network to improve the existing 4G, 3G and 2G networks. Further, Ericsson will provide network rollout services including installation, civil works, integration, commissioning and associated project management. Ericsson will also be required to provide support for software and hardware, spare parts management services and initial tuning.

The LTE network in Finland is expected to cover 80% of its population by the end of 2014 and is therefore expected to immensely improve connectivity, particularly in scantily populated parts of Finland. By improving the technology, DNA plans to expand its coverage to people living outside the main urban areas.

This project is believed to enhance the mobile broadband experience for DNA's customers through a high-capacity LTE network. Ericsson will deploy its latest multi-standard RBS 6000 family of base stations and network management solutions to deliver this improved experience.

DNA Ltd is a Finland-based telecommunications company providing high-quality voice, data and TV services for communication, entertainment and workplaces. The company is also the largest cable operator and a leading pay TV provider in both the cable and terrestrial networks. DNA primarily caters to the rapidly growing need for fast data transfer connections, by continuously increasing the speed, capacity and base stations of its 3G and 4G networks.

Ericsson is the world’s largest supplier of the LTE technology with approximately 13% market share overall and more than 50% share in the global LTE smartphone traffic. To date, Ericsson has delivered more than 180 LTE radio access networks (RANs) and Evolved Packet Core networks across the globe, of which more than 110 have gone live. Prior to this, the company received LTE projects from Nigeria-based telecom provider, Smile Communications, for deploying the LTE radio network, leveraging the multi-standard RBS 6000 family of base stations and the compact and fully integrated AIR (Antenna Integrated Radio) Antennas.

Currently, Ericsson carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Some other wireless equipment stocks worth mentioning include Juniper Networks Inc. (JNPR), Ubiquiti Networks, Inc. (UBNT) and Qualcomm Inc. (QCOM). Juniper carries a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), while Qualcomm and Ubiquiti carry a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

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