Ericsson and FarEasTone seal contract for 3G/HSPA and IMS network in Taiwan

September 7, 2006, Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) has been awarded a contract by FarEasTone to deploy HSPA (High Speed Packet Access) and IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem), while expanding its existing share of the 3G/WCDMA radio footprint from Northern Region to Central Region. Ericsson will also provide related support services.

The HSPA network Ericsson is building for FarEasTone will be the fastest of its kind in Taiwan, supporting initial download speeds of up to 3.6Mbps; nine times faster than today’s 3G network.

FarEasTone will also become the first operator in Taiwan to implement IMS. Ericsson IMS makes it possible for FarEasTone to combine today’s and tomorrow’s applications and create an integrated services offering for the Taiwanese market. IMS will enable FarEasTone to offer an attractive and convenient communications experience; utilizing one common system for all broadband services users will have the freedom to access any service with the most convenient device at any given moment.

The upgrade and expansion of FarEasTone’s existing 3G network will provide significant improvement in both transmission speed and overall system performances and pave the way to all-IP.

Jan Nilsson, President of FarEasTone, says: "We are delighted to be able to provide consumers with first-class services using Ericsson’s world-leading 3G, HSPA, and IMS solutions. Our subscribers will enjoy a whole new 3G experience, and FarEasTone’s competitive advantage will be boosted. The focus of the new IMS system is to deliver new IP multimedia-services, and drive revenue growth.

Seán Gowran, President of Ericsson Taiwan, says: “As the prime driver in an all communicating world, Ericsson is determined to excel in network infrastructure and services while being perceived as the most innovative and responsive business partner. The FarEasTone contract further highlights our leading position in HSPA and IMS, as well as our strong services offering in evolving networks to all-IP.”

This contract award follows the 2005 collaboration between Ericsson and FarEasTone to launch FarEasTone’s initial 3G service.

Ericsson is shaping the future of Mobile and Broadband Internet communication through its continuous technology leadership. Providing innovative solutions in more than 140 countries, Ericsson is helping to create the most powerful communication companies in the world.

Read more at http://www.ericsson.com

About IMS
Ericsson IMS provides fixed, mobile and enterprise users with a range of new services such as IMS Multimedia Telephony, IMS weShare and IMS Push to Talk, and. Additional IMS services like gaming, white-boarding, and messaging are continuously being developed, by Ericsson or other companies - making Ericsson IMS a future-proof, flexible and cost-effective choice for operators to offer an attractive and convenient communications experience. Ericsson has signed 23 IMS system contracts for commercial launch. They are distributed globally over the Americas, Europe, Asia and Africa and include GSM/GPRS, WCDMA, and Wireline implementations based on the exact same infrastructure.

About HSPA
HSPA, the first step in the evolution path of WCDMA, enables operators to introduce attractive new services such as Mobile Broadband with Mobile TV, Mobile Music, high speed Internet connectivity and Fixed Wireless services. Ericsson’s HSPA solution offers ADSL-like peak data speeds for the downlink up to 3.6 Mbps now and up to 14.4 Mbps by the end of 2006. Ericsson is the primary supplier to more than 50 percent of all commercially launched WCDMA networks and is the primary supplier to the world’s first commercial HSDPA launches, HSDPA for the downlink. Ericsson expects first commercial launches of HSPA for the uplink, HSUPA, to take place early 2007.

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