STOCKHOLM, Sweden-Vodafone Group plc has chosen L.M. Ericsson to supply a W-CDMA upgrade and mobile softswitch to expand its network in Fiji in a deal that Ericsson called the first third-generation network in a Pacific Ocean nation.
Under the five-year agreement, Ericsson also will provide managed services. Vodafone will invest $15 million to modernize its core network and introduce a new 3G radio network, including mobile softswitch. Ericsson will deploy W-CDMA coverage beginning in mid-2006.
Aslam Khan, chief executive officer of Vodafone Fiji, said in addition to the $15 million Ericsson contract, the carrier will invest further during the next five years to upgrade its network, including introducing new services and extending coverage throughout Fiji.
According to Vodafone Fiji, about 500,000 tourists visited Fiji last year. Of these, 80 percent brought their mobile phones, with 90 percent of these roaming onto Vodafone Fiji’s current network.
