Cisco and Alcatel-Lucent have separately announced significant LTE infrastructure developments with operators in the United Arab Emirates.
Cisco will supply its ASR 5000 Series multimedia service platform for use as du's mobile Internet evolved packet core (EPC). "Cisco Advanced Services is working closely with du to commission the network and prepare for the launch. Cisco will also offer managed services to operate the packet core network for the first year allowing du to speed new services to market at lower cost and with high reliability, offering a lower total cost of ownership and a greater return on investment," said Cisco.
Cisco said it has a long-standing collaborative relationship with du, which has 5 million mobile customers.
Meanwhile, Alcatel-Lucent (NASDAQ:ALU) announced that du rival Etisalat has completed an LTE trial using the vendor's lightRadio technology. Alcatel-Lucent showcased the capabilities of its new 9768 lightRadio Metro Radio Outdoor (MRO) at Etisalat's headquarters in Abu Dhabi over Etisalat's commercial 4G LTE network. The MRO can be used to extend a service provider's LTE network to provide hot-spot coverage in densely populated areas such as shopping malls, airports, and sports stadiums.
In October 2011, Alcatel-Lucent and Etisalat signed a network development contract based upon the lightRadio portfolio.
For more:
- see this Cisco release
- see this Alcatel-Lucent release
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