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.
