Ericsson and Telstra go live with world’s first blade-based mobile softswitch

Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) has delivered the world’s first mobile softswitch using blade technology, to Australian operator Telstra, which has already brought the new MSC Server Blade Cluster into commercial service on its NextG(TM) network.

The Mobile Switching Center (MSC) Server is the main node in a mobile core network used to control the switching of voice traffic. With the new MSC Server Blade Cluster, network capacity can be increased by more than half a million subscribers by simply inserting a new blade (electronics board) in the MSC Server cabinet. This innovative design provides easy scalability and supports ultra-high capacity, providing significant cost savings for mobile operators.

Telstra is providing voice-switching capacity for all its mobile subscribers via a single national mobile core network where the MSC Servers are deployed in a combined GSM and WCDMA MSC pool. By 2010, Telstra intends to have replaced the current 18 regional MSC Servers by one MSC Server Blade Cluster pool deployed at two sites in eastern Australia. This rationalization will reduce equipment floor space by 85 percent, cut energy use by 75 percent and proportionately reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Telstra Executive Director for Wireless Mike Wright says: “By deploying the MSC Server Blade Cluster, we continue to invest in our Next G(TM) network to enhance its capacity and robustness. Ericsson’s mobile softswitch allows us to streamline our core network while increasing voice capacity as we add subscribers. This simplification of our operations will make it easier and faster for us to operate, maintain and expand the core network.”

Magnus Furustam, Vice President Product Area Core & IMS, Ericsson, says: “The success of mobile broadband and the continuous growth of voice traffic are placing great demands on mobile core networks. Ericsson is excited to be able to provide these significant capacity increases, while also improving efficiencies and environmental outcomes. Partnering with a leading-edge operator such as Telstra has enabled us to be first to market with new innovations to enhance the consumer experience.”

Notes to editor:
Earlier announcement
www.ericsson.com/ericsson/press/releases/20080402-1205750.shtml
Success story - Worlds Most Advanced Core Network
www.ericsson.com/campaign/sustainable_mobile_communications

Ericsson is the world’s leading provider of technology and services to telecom operators. The market leader in 2G and 3G mobile technologies, Ericsson supplies communications services and manages networks that serve more than 120 million subscribers. The company’s portfolio comprises mobile and fixed network infrastructure, and broadband and multimedia solutions for operators, enterprises and developers. The Sony Ericsson joint venture provides consumers with feature-rich personal mobile devices.

Ericsson is advancing its vision of ’communication for all’ through innovation, technology, and sustainable business solutions. Working in 175 countries, more than 70,000 employees generated revenue of USD 27.9 billion (SEK 189 billion) in 2007. Founded in 1876 and headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, Ericsson is listed on the Stockholm, London and NASDAQ stock exchanges.

For more information, visit www.ericsson.com or www.ericsson.mobi.


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About Telstra Corporation Ltd
Telstra Corporation Ltd is Australia’s leading telecommunications and information services company, with one of the best-known brands in the country. Telstra is the only media communications company in Australia that can provide customers with a truly integrated telecommunications experience across fixed line, mobile, broadband (BigPond®), information, transaction and search (Sensis®), and pay TV (FOXTEL). By using an integrated suite of network and media assets, Telstra is creating a world of one-click, one-touch, one-command, any screen solutions that are integrated, operate in real-time, and are simple, easy and valued by customers.

About MSC pool
Ericsson’s MSC-S pool functionality is an architecture that enables a number of MSC-S servers to act as one “Mega MSC Server,” providing very high capacity and unsurpassed network level redundancy for mobile core networks. A fully operational pool allows changeover during planned and unplanned outages. This creates the possibility to reduce the number of sites and reduce the cost of operating and maintaining a mobile-softswitch-based network. Ericsson was the first supplier in the world to deploy a GSM MSC pool in August 2006; it has since been deployed in 26 commercial GSM networks and in four common core GSM and WCDMA networks, on six continents.

About MSC Server Blade Cluster
The MSC Server Blade Cluster is the latest evolution of the MSC Server in Ericsson’s successful Mobile Softswitch Solution. The MSC Server Blade Cluster provides ultra-high capacity, supporting more than 8 million subscribers with only two single-depth cabinets, which results in up to 90 percent footprint reduction compared with today’s server generation. It enables operators to easily scale server capacity in line with future traffic increases and changing business needs. The node availability is increased significantly; operation and maintenance can be performed any time of the day without any traffic disturbances affecting end users’ mobile calls. When combined with the MSC-S pool concept, network level redundancy is increased dramatically.
The Ericsson Mobile Softswitch Solution (MSC-S and M-MGw) is already the most energy-efficient solution on the market, and the MSC Server Blade Cluster further reduces server power consumption by up to 60 percent per subscriber. The reduction in the number of nodes required can lead to opex cuts of up to 45 percent.

About Ericsson Mobile Softswitch Solution
Ericsson is the leading provider of mobile softswitch solutions. Ericsson’s solution is commercially proven and fully standards compliant, offering efficient and low-risk evolution of existing circuit-switched networks to a telecom-quality, IP-based service platform. Ericsson’s solution uses network resources in the most cost-effective way to provide both classic telephony and next-generation services. More than 200 mobile networks worldwide have been commercially launched with services based on the Ericsson Mobile Softswitch Solution.