First Ericsson LTE network built in Africa

• Users to have access to high-performance broadband services
• Services including design, installation, integration commissioning, tuning  and optimization
• Network transformation and RBS 6000 family at heart of deliveries

Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC, news, filings) announced that it has helped MTN South Africa to launch a commercial LTE network which will be rolled out across the country. Along with its RBS 6000 family of base stations, Ericsson is supplying the Evolved Packet Core, Home Subscriber Server (HSS) for user data management, Operating Support Systems (OSS), project management and services.

This is the first commercial LTE network built by Ericsson in Africa. The launch comes after the pilot network has been running for more than a year.

Long Term Evolution (LTE), the next generation of mobile communication technology, enables the fast transfer of huge amounts of data in an efficient and cost-effective manner, optimizing the use of spectrum. The increased capacity and lower latency will allow subscribers effortless access to faster web browsing, online gaming, social media and video.

Lambo Kanagaratnam, MTN South Africa Chief Technology Officer, said: “MTN’s first LTE network will enable our South African customers an experience that is more efficient and seamless.”

Lars Lindén, head of Region Sub-Saharan Africa, Ericsson, said: “This will open countless opportunities and will change the way people work, live and play. The commercial deployment of LTE will help users experience and interact in a better, more efficient way.”

Ericsson is the world leader in LTE and today has more than 90 commercial LTE contracts on six continents, of which over 50 networks have already gone live. More than 455 million people worldwide have LTE coverage, of which 305 million are covered by LTE networks supplied by Ericsson (July 2012).

NOTES TO EDITORS

LTE media kit: http://www.ericsson.com/thecompany/press/mediakits/lte

Download high-resolution photos and broadcast-quality video at www.ericsson.com/press

Ericsson is the world’s leading provider of communications technology and services. We are enabling the Networked Society with efficient real-time solutions that allow us all to study, work and live our lives more freely, in sustainable societies around the world.

Our offering comprises services, software and infrastructure within Information and Communications Technology for telecom operators and other industries. Today more than 40 percent of the world’s mobile traffic goes through Ericsson networks and we support customers’ networks servicing more than 2.5 billion subscribers.

We operate in 180 countries and employ more than 100,000 people. Founded in 1876, Ericsson is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden. In 2011 the company’s net sales were SEK 226.9 billion (USD 35.0 billion). Ericsson is listed on NASDAQ OMX, Stockholm and NASDAQ, New York stock exchanges.

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• • Users to have access to high-performance broadband services