Airtel Nigeria and Ericsson say they are rolling out new services that will power the delivery of affordable broadband across select sites in Nigeria.
The two technology companies say the Ericsson Radio System will be rolled out in sites across Nigeria to address the growing demand and increase access to affordable mobile broadband Internet service.
Ericsson Radio System’s multi-standard platform enables Airtel Nigeria to cost-effectively leverage the reach, maturity and increasing affordability of today’s 3G technology, while laying the foundation for their 4G and 5G evolution, the companies say.
According to Ericsson, the network-wide solution incorporates a broad range of products including: radio, baseband, small cells, backhaul, fronthaul, enclosures, power site equipment and the controller, all of which are products augmented through twice-yearly network software updates, and through Ericsson Global Services offerings.
“Mobile broadband access is really a prerequisite to achieving our key objective of enriching the lives and empowering the people of Nigeria to benefit both consumers and industry. Ericsson Radio System provides the performance and efficiency to support this objective while also ensuring a future-proof evolution as Nigeria continues to establish itself as a progressive and innovative ICT-driven country”, Ahmed Mokhles, Chief Commercial Officer, Airtel Nigeria says.
Speaking for Ericsson, Arun Bansal, Head of Business Unit Radio, Ericsson, says: “Airtel Nigeria and their customers are directly benefitting from the performance and efficiency innovations designed in to the Ericsson Radio System, network-wise, its future-proof multi-standard platform ensures a smooth evolution, while its compact, modular design reduces operating costs enabling Airtel Nigeria to offer more affordable mobile broadband access today,”
“Ericsson Radio System has already won both the Global Mobile Award for Best Mobile Infrastructure and the Red Dot Award for Product Design, but it is the recognition of our key customers like Airtel Nigeria that matters the most,” adds Bansal.
Ericsson Radio System was launched at MWC 2015, and started shipping to customers in Q3 2015, according to the company. Its innovative rail system enables the Ericsson Radio System to adapt to any site, with zero floor footprint and easy one-bolt installation while its modular, compact and energy efficient radios reduce both operating and capital expenses, delivering three times the capacity density with 50 percent improvement in energy efficiency.
The company says it has also launched software and hardware innovations, including Intelligent Antenna Sharing, aimed at lowering the cost of mobile broadband access, and a Managed Rural Coverage services offering focused specifically on addressing the economic challenges of delivering mobile broadband access to rural areas.