The network is expected to be fully operational by March 2018.
Nokia and Huawei won deals to build a nationwide 4G wholesale network in Mexico, dubbed Red Compartida, which is expected to launch in March 2018.
Huawei was tapped to roll out network infrastructure in central and southern areas of the country, and will also be in charge of building the network’s backbone. Meanwhile, Nokia will deploy infrastructure in northern Mexico and will also build the core network, which includes the network operation center and security operation center.
“With Huawei and Nokia as technology partners, I am convinced that Red Compartida will have unparalleled quality and reach,” said Joaquín Coronado, managing director of Altan Redes, the consortium which had obtained a 20-year license by the Mexican government to deploy and operate the wholesale 4G network. “We are confident that our partners Huawei and Nokia will soon provide Mexico with the best mobile broadband 4G-LTE technology available worldwide.”
The deployment is expected to cost nearly $7 billion, with at least 30% of the country’s population covered by the end of March 2018. Once fully completed, the network is scheduled to cover more than 92% of the population.
Ericsson, Cisco secure contract in Brazil
In other infrastructure news, Ericsson and U.S. networking company Cisco secured their first agreement in Brazil, with the two companies working together to supply and install IP routers for Nextel.
Components in the offering include a combination of hardware from Cisco, and services and project management from Ericsson.
“Together, Cisco and Ericsson have the best mix of engagement required to support operators like Nextel address data traffic challenges,” said Yvette Kanouff, SVP and GM of Cisco’s Service Provider Business, in a statement. “Working together on this project, we will support Nextel’s mobile broadband offering and help them deliver better network performance for customers.”
