Europe UK : Ericsson and VimpelCom have signed an agreement for the supply and implementation of a WCDMA/HSPA network, plus associated services, to cover seven out of nine macro regions across Russia, including Moscow, the North Caucasus, Siberia, Volga, Northwest Russia, South Russia and the Urals.

Under the five-year agreement, Ericsson will supply a WCDMA/HSPA radio access and core network, including circuit-switching and packet-switching, and subscriber management system Home Location Register (HLR). Ericsson will also be responsible for a range of telecom services, including deployment and integration, systems integration, operation and maintenance assistance, technical support and training.

The move will enable VimpelCom to offer advanced multimedia and high-speed mobile broadband services, such as Mobile TV and video calls, to its subscribers. Ericsson's High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA) provides fast data transmission speeds on both the uplink and downlink. It also boosts network capacity and lowers response times for interactive services. Ericsson's software upgrade of the existing GSM core hardware to a dual access packet core network allows for a smooth and efficient introduction of high speed WCDMA/HSPA services.

Peter Covell, COO at VimpelCom, says, "This agreement is a continuation of our long-term partnership with Ericsson and sets the stage for VimpelCom to introduce cutting-edge services to our customers. We believe that the move will also provide us with a competitive advantage in the telecommunications market."

Zoran Lukovic, Vice-President, Ericsson Eastern Europe and Central Asia, says: "Ericsson is honored to have been selected by VimpelCom for the supply of a state-of-the-art WCDMA/HSPA network. This deal further strengthens our partnership with VimpelCom and will allow them to offer their customers innovative commercial 3G services." Ericsson is currently powering 86 of the 174 commercial HSPA networks launched worldwide, with many additional ongoing deployments.