Ericsson and MTS launch Ericsson Radio System to boost capacity towards 5G

• First commercial launch in MTS network of new generation multi-standard Ericsson Radio System
• Ericsson Radio System architecture supports multi-standard, multi-band and multi-layer technology that scales to operators’ increasing demand for network performance and flexibility
• Deployment meets the growing mobile data traffic needs of the MTS network on the road to 5G and Internet of Things (IoT)

Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC, news, filings) and Russian mobile network operator MTS will deploy the first commercial launch in MTS network of the new generation multi-standard Ericsson Radio System in the Russian city of Ufa.

Deployment of the Ericsson Radio System with new Baseband and Radio technology will enhance the network capacity and increase the efficiency of spectrum use, through implementation of LTE Carrier Aggregation, 4×4 MIMO and 256 QAM. It also enables the operator to use less equipment on each site, shrinking the occupied space and decreasing power consumption by up to 50 percent when compared with the currently installed equipment.

MTS subscribers will have an enhanced user experience through higher data rates and better network coverage, providing better accessibility to fast growing services such as HD and 360 video.

Andrey Ushatskiy, Vice President Technology & IT and Chief Technology Officer, MTS, says: “MTS is committed to maintaining its leadership in telecoms technology in Russia and building a solid base to evolve its networks to a 5G standard. On the eve of the introduction of devices supporting LTE Advanced Pro, we are launching the first commercial enhanced LTE Advanced Pro network in Russia. Thanks to our cooperation with Ericsson and other vendors we are the first telecom operator in the world to launch an aggregated FDD and TDD network with LTE Advanced Pro technologies, such as 4×4 MIMO and 256 QAM modulation, allowing us to achieve mobile internet speeds of up to 400Mbps on just a single carrier and 700Mbps in aggregation mode. In this way we not only provide our customers with a significant increase in their internet speeds, but we also increase the efficiency of MTS use of the LTE TDD spectrum in the 2.6GHz range.”

Peter Laurin, Head of Region Northern Europe & Central Asia, Ericsson, says: “Our commercial launch with MTS in Ufa is very important in taking the next step towards a 5G network. Now we are building the most powerful network configuration where all standards and bands available to MTS are realized on the same physical equipment. This includes running 2G/3G and LTE TDD/FDD on the same powerful Ericsson Radio System simultaneously. This to significantly increase network efficiency and customer experience. In its compact form factor the Ericsson Radio System is prepared for IoT and future applications supported by the 5G architecture and standard.”

Ericsson is present today in all high traffic LTE markets including US, Japan, and South Korea, and is ranked first for handling the most global LTE traffic. In addition, forty percent of the world’s total mobile traffic is carried over Ericsson networks. More than 270 LTE RAN and Evolved Packet Core networks have been delivered by Ericsson worldwide, of which over 200 are live commercially.

Ericsson is a world leader in communications technology and services with headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden. Our organization consists of more than 111,000 experts who have provided customers in 180 countries with innovative solutions and services. Together we are building a more connected future where anyone and any industry is empowered to reach their full potential. Net sales in 2016 were SEK 222.6 billion (USD 24.5 billion). Ericsson is listed on NASDAQ OMX stock exchange in Stockholm and the NASDAQ in New York. Read more on www.ericsson.com.