Russian operator MTS said it will launch a TDD-LTE network using infrastructure equipment exclusively provided by Nokia Siemens Networks.
The new network, which covers most of Moscow and 40 other major residential areas around the city, has seen NSN migrate an existing WiMAX network over to supporting TDD-LTE technology using 2,200 new base stations.
"Our LTE network's high data throughput and superior reliability enable our customers to benefit from high quality multimedia applications with faster network access," Konstantin Markov, the head of MTS operations for Moscow, said in a statement. "Joint efforts by MTS and NSN, our long-standing partner, are focused on achieving LTE coverage in 96 per cent of Moscow by the end of 2012. We also plan to double the coverage in Moscow provinces from the current level of coverage in 40 towns."
NSN will provide its Single RAN platform which is based on the company's Flexi Multiradio base station for the TDD-LTE network, together with its Liquid Core EPC platform, Flexi network server and Flexi network gateway.
MTS CTO Andrei Ushatskiy recently commented on the hurdles of moving to LTE, and said that there were difficulties in managing its spectrum frequencies for LTE. "Although we got a licence in July, it doesn't mean we will be able to launch LTE everywhere because there are limitations to take into account," he told Telecoms.com. "For example, the military is still occupying a lot of the digital dividend spectrum, which will take some time to evacuate."
Separately, NSN also announced that it has achieved "world record" TDD-LTE throughput speeds of 1.6 Gbps in a U.S. lab demonstration using commercial equipment. The company claims this is company's fifth-straight LTE speed record in the past six months.
"We have been pushing the limits in 4G technology, and this time we have done so with 1.6Gbps data throughput and increased uplink capacity," said Tommi Uitto, head of mobile broadband value creation management at NSN.
For more:
- see this Nokia Siemens Networks release
- see this Telecoms.com article
- see this separate Nokia Siemens Networks release
Related Articles:
Nokia Siemens wields the axe in Finland, will cut 400 jobs
Nokia Siemens CEO Suri confirms desire to sell BSS unit
Alcatel-Lucent to restructure operations, shake up management
NSN sees Q2 sales drop 8%, continues with restructuring plan
Network infrastructure vendors face tough Q2, road ahead