Europe
/ ASIA : Hong Kong mobile operator SmarTone-Vodafone launches Hong
Kong's first commercial mobile broadband service with full HSDPA coverage
in Hong Kong, pioneering the technology in the Greater China region.
Inset is
Douglas Li CEO of Smartone quoted below.
This
launch follows the successful upgrade by Ericsson of SmarTone-Vodafone's
3G/WCDMA network with HSDPA.
The upgrade to HSDPA enables SmarTone-Vodafone to deliver true broadband
speed of up to 1.8Mbps to laptops, and introduce its customers to
a new generation of mobile broadband services with true mobility and
real freedom to move. At this stage, users will be able to download
five times faster than the current 3G connection using existing PC-cards,
and 20 times faster than with a GSM/GPRS connection. Under the agreement,
Ericsson has delivered HSDPA hardware, software and implementation
services.
Douglas Li, CEO of SmarTone-Vodafone, says: "We are pleased to
be the first operator in Hong Kong as well as the Greater China region
to offer mobile broadband with full HSDPA coverage throughout the
territory. The launch represents what real 3G can achieve and demonstrates
how 3G with HSDPA can bring substantially better benefits to both
business users and consumers through our Mobile Broadband service."
Johan Adler, President of Ericsson Hong Kong, says: "We are proud
to support SmarTone-Vodafone with the introduction of HSDPA services,
bringing this key technology to Hong Kong consumers at a very early
stage. SmarTone-Vodafone's early launch of HSDPA underlines their
innovative profile and will gear their network with the most advanced
functionalities and services."
This is another significant step in the long-standing, successful
partnership between Ericsson and SmarTone-Vodafone, following the
3G launch in Hong Kong in 2004. Ericsson has previously been selected
by SmarTone-Vodafone as sole supplier of Core and Radio Networks,
including GPRS and WCDMA/3G.
Ericsson's HSDPA solution will enable peak download speeds of up to
14.4 Mbps. The advanced technology offers operators more than double
the system capacity and makes response times for interactive services
faster. SmarTone-Vodafone is planning to upgrade to a maximum speed
of 14.4 Mbps by 2007/08.
Ericsson is shaping the future of Mobile and Broadband Internet communications
through its continuous technology leadership. Providing innovative
solutions in more than 140 countries, Ericsson is helping to create
the most powerful communication companies in the world.
