Singapore operator M1 Limited (M1) has awarded a contract to Swedish equipment maker Ericsson for the supply of its mobile backhaul network. Under the deal, the vendor will be responsible for upgrading the carrier’s TDM-based transmission network with IP-enabled microwave and fibre-optic equipment, as well as providing backhaul management software, it said. No financial details were disclosed about the deal, which comes hard on the heels of M1’s recent announcement that it is readying itself for the launch of 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) services from 15 September. ‘This network upgrade is essential for us to meet the current and future needs of our end users,’ M1 CTO Patrick Scodeller is quoted as saying. ‘It allows us to support gigabit bandwidth connectivity while maintaining the highest quality of service,’ he added.
As previously reported by TeleGeography’s CommsUpdate, M1 is preparing to go live nationwide with its 4G network this month, making it the second player – behind rival SingTel Mobile – to offer the service commercially in the city state. It says that its LTE network will offer maximum download speeds of 75Mbps (typical speeds, 6.9Mbps-17.4Mbps), rising to 150Mbps once it reclaims the 1800MHz spectrum it is currently using for its GSM service. At launch, M1 is offering four handsets that support LTE, namely the HTC One XL, LG Optimus True HD LTE, Samsung Galaxy S II LTE and the Galaxy Note LTE.