DL - 4G Americas

support the most heavily loaded and successful mobile broadband operators. The numbers of subscribers
in Ericsson supplied networks are often much higher than world average and the smartphone penetration
in Ericsson supplied networks are also very much higher than the world average.
Moving on to the next step in mobile broadband, in January 2008, Ericsson became the first company to
demonstrate LTE operating in both FDD and TDD modes on the same base station platform (Rel-8). By
using the same platform for both paired and unpaired spectrum, LTE provides large economies of scale
for operators. In order to make LTE licensing as fair and reasonable as possible, in April 2008, Ericsson
announced its role in a joint initiative with Alcatel-Lucent, NEC, NextWave Wireless, Nokia, Nokia
Siemens Networks and Sony Ericsson to enhance the predictability and transparency of IPR licensing
costs in future 3GPP LTE/SAE technology. This initiative includes a commitment to an IPR licensing
framework that provides more predictable maximum aggregate IPR costs for LTE technology and enables
early adoption of this technology into products. In 2008, Ericsson unveiled the world’s first commercially
available LTE-capable platform for mobile devices, the M700, which offers peak data downlink rates of up
to 100 Mbps and uplink rates of up to 50 Mbps (Rel-8). The first products based on M700 will include data
devices such as laptop modems, USB modems for notebooks and other small-form modems suitable for
integration with other handset platforms to create multi-mode devices. Since LTE supports hand over and
roaming on existing mobile networks, all of these devices can have ubiquitous mobile broadband
coverage from day one. The world's first LTE system, TeliaSonera in Sweden and Norway, went live
December 2009 (Rel-8).
In 2008, Ericsson announced the new RBS 6000 base station family. The RBS 6000 is a no-compromise,
energy efficient compact site solution that supports GSM/EDGE, WCDMA/HSPA and LTE (Rel-8) in a
single package. The RBS 6000 is built with cutting-edge technology and at the same time provides
backwards compatibility with the highly successful RBS 2000 and RBS 3000 product lines. Base stations
delivered since 2001 are LTE-capable, supporting operators with a clear and stable evolutionary path into
the future. As a multi-standard base station, the RBS 6000 offers many options that make choices simpler
while providing greater freedom of choice. Cost-effective deployment and development of new, highspeed
mobile broadband services, mobile TV and Web applications requires a smart solution that
provides a real performance leap. The RBS 6000 family not only ensures a smooth transition to new
technology and functionality minimizing OPEX, but also reduces environmental impact.
Ericsson has 82 IMS system contracts for commercial launch, 47 of which are running live traffic. This
represents about 75 percent of all live commercial IMS systems. They are distributed throughout the
Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Africa and include fixed network implementations, GSM/GPRS,
WCDMA/HSPA and WiMAX.
Ericsson is helping operators expand and evolve their communications businesses by employing the
latest broadband and IP-based technology to reduce cost and improve service capability, flexibility and
convenience for their customers. Today, Ericsson has the industry’s largest installed base and the
largest, most mature service organization for all-IP network transformation, which are the results of
Ericsson’s history of being first to market with IMS and IP softswitching.
Ericsson has consolidated its position with about 50 percent core and IMS market share. At twice the size
of its nearest competitor, Ericsson’s installed MSS base provides a much stronger foundation for growth
through expansion and upgrades.
Gemalto, in 2010, provides Rel-8 UICC to LTE networks in the U.S. and around the world based on the
Rel-8 feature enabling Over-The-Air Remote Application and File Management over HTTP(S). This
www.4gamericas.org February 2011 Page 101