Under the agreement, Ericsson will provide new radio base stations and mobile softswitch equipment that will enable TMIB to minimize network costs while evolving towards an all-IP network.

Software upgrades to increase capacity and network performance will also enable TMIB to add new subscribers simply and efficiently while ensuring a high-quality service for end users.

The project includes more than 1000 sites - covering half the country's population - in and between the Dhaka and Chittagong regions.

Ericsson will further support TMIB with a comprehensive range of telecommunication services covering turnkey deployment and integration as well as network optimization and tuning.

Kamshul Bin Kasim, Managing Director of TMIB, says: "Ericsson has shown itself to be a reliable and committed partner that will help us deliver a superior quality network and richer mobile communications experience to our customers. This strategic partnership will position us to offer a wider range of differentiating services to our end users."

Arun Bansal, Managing Director of Ericsson Bangladesh, says: "Ericsson is proud to continue supporting TMIB in bringing the latest mobile technologies to its customers. We are fully committed to supporting TMIB in strengthening its market leadership in Bangladesh, as well as maintaining its competitiveness in the future."

Ericsson and TMIB have built a strong partnership since Ericsson made its first GSM/GPRS delivery in 2000, with agreements that support all aspects of the operator's business.

 

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TM International (Bangladesh) Limited, established in 1996, is a joint venture between Telekom Malaysia Berhad and A.K. Khan & Co. Limited. Operating under the brand name AKTEL, the company is one of the fastest-growing mobile communication companies in Bangladesh and offers comprehensive GSM mobile solutions to more than 6.7 million subscribers. AKTEL boasts the widest international roaming service in the market, connecting 440 operators across 185 countries.

Ericsson is the leading provider of softswitch solutions for both mobile and wireline networks. Ericsson's solutions are commercially proven and fully standards-compliant, offering an efficient and low-risk evolution of existing circuit-switched networks to a telecom-quality, IP-based service platform. Ericsson solutions use network resources in the most cost-efficient way to provide both classic telephony and next-generation services. More than 180 fixed and mobile operators worldwide have commercially launched services based on Ericsson's softswitch solutions.