STOCKHOLM, Sweden-L.M. Ericsson signed a $300 million frame agreement with Telcel to expand the wireless operator’s 800 MHz network and create a dual-band/dual-mode system by building the country’s first 1900 MHz network, said Ericsson.
Telcel recently won a 1900 MHz licenses in each of Mexico’s nine regions, giving it a nationwide footprint. Telcel is boosting its network capacity by integrating the two channels in anticipation of the rapid subscriber growth possible when Calling Party Pays legislation is implemented.
“This latest expansion project makes Telcel one of the first operators in the world to take full advantage of the dual-band/dual-mode capabilities of the [Digital Advanced Mobile Phone Services] … standard,” said Jan Wareby, vice president and general manager of Ericsson. “[Interim Standard 136] is a sophisticated platform that allows operators to treat spectrum as a shared network resource, with a common set of services across both frequency bands.”
