Ericsson and Sichuan Mobile sign USD143 million GSM/GPRS expansion contract in China

Ericsson and Sichuan Mobile sign USD143 million GSM/GPRS expansion contract in China Ericsson and Sichuan Mobile Communication Company, China have signed a contract valued at USD 143 million for expansion of the GSM/GPRS network in Sichuan Province. The expansion project will be completed in June 2002, raising the capacity of the dual band network provided by Ericsson to 4.2 million subscribers. The contract also covers expansion of the Mobile Intelligence Network (MIN), enabling Sichuan Mobile to provide intelligent services including pre-paid services, private numbers, and private virtual networks, and will also expand GPRS functionality to the entire network. Nanjing Ericsson Panda Communication Co., Ltd and Dalian Ericsson Communication Co., Ltd., will provide equipment and service for this project. "Our cooperation with Sichuan Mobile started in 1993, when Ericsson first built the analog mobile network for the province. We are very pleased to have their continuing confidence as main supplier of solutions for rapid expansion and smooth migration of their GSM network to 2.5G mobile systems," says Jan Malm, President Ericsson China. Ericsson has taken a leadership role with its open, multi-vendor GPRS system, holding some 50 percent of the GPRS market, as measured by operator's subscriber base. Ericsson is delivering GPRS systems to 45 leading operators, spanning three continents. Ericsson is shaping the future of Mobile and Broadband Internet communications 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/press FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT Antoinette Torell, Press Relations, Division Mobile Systems Ericsson Corporate Communication Phone: +46 70 676 9279; E-mail: Antoinette.torell@lme.ericsson.se Tu Min, Corporate Communications Director, Ericsson (China) Phone: +86 10 656 15566; E-mail: min.tu@etc.ericsson.se About Ericsson in China Ericsson China has nearly 4,500 employees, 26 offices across the country, 10 joint ventures and 4 wholly owned companies that provide a full range of communications solutions and services.