DTAC contracts Ericsson for 3G rollout and managed services

DTAC, Thailand’s second largest mobile operator, has signed a contract with Ericsson for 3G W-CDMA/HSPA network rollout and managed services, and says it is also preparing for upgrades to 4G LTE. The contract, signed via subsidiary Dtac Network, which received a 2100MHz licence in December 2012, reinforces DTAC’s partnership with Ericsson, which it selected in 2011 for a previous rollout of 850MHz W-CDMA/HSPA. Under the contract, the initial scope of the 2100MHz 3G rollout – which has already begun – is to improve network capacity and performance in Bangkok and the central and eastern regions. By deploying Ericsson’s Evolved Packet Core and multi-standard radio base stations, DTAC is also preparing to cost-effectively offer mobile broadband services based on HSPA, and eventually LTE, technologies nationwide.