ALEXANDRIA, Minn.-Rural Cellular Corp. signed a five-year deal with Ericsson Inc. to provide CDMA2000 1x and GSM/GPRS core and radio infrastructure and services as part of the carrier’s previously announced overlay of its legacy TDMA network. Rural Cellular said the diverse network plans will allow it to continue to serve its nationwide roaming partners.
“RCC has roaming agreements with both CDMA and GSM/GPRS operators, so it was important for us to select a vendor that can deliver equipment and applications for both technologies,” said Richard Ekstrand, president and chief executive officer of Rural Cellular.
Ericsson said it will immediately begin installing GSM/GPRS equipment in Rural Cellular’s Northeast region and CDMA2000 1x equipment in its Midwest region.
Financial terms of the agreement were not released, but Rural Cellular recently announced it plans to spend between $190 million and $230 million through 2005 on its network overlay initiative.
