Ericsson has extended its 20-year strategic partnership with Entel to support the Chilean telecommunications company as it advances toward 5G mobile networks.
Under the renewed agreement, Ericsson will roll out its latest LTE FDD technologies and LTE TDD Massive MIMO (multiple input multiple output). These upgrades will increase Entel’s network capacity and performance, helping the operator remain competitive and open new revenue streams. Entel will become the first operator in Latin America to deploy Massive MIMO across an entire country.
Alfredo Parot, Vice President of Technologies and Operations at Entel, said: “Entel has a long-standing partnership with Ericsson grounded in a history of excellence in products and services. As we evolve our network to capture new business opportunities through Gigabit LTE and the transition toward 5G and the Internet of Things, it was natural to extend this partnership with Ericsson. Our consumer and enterprise customers will benefit from a high-performance network in the region for years to come.”
Arun Bansal, Senior Vice President and Head of Market Area Europe and Latin America at Ericsson, commented: “With mobile traffic volumes projected to grow significantly through 2020 and beyond, operators worldwide are enhancing their networks to deliver higher speeds and lower latency. By evolving Entel’s network to Gigabit LTE and preparing it for 5G and beyond, we are writing a new chapter in our strategic partnership and strengthening Entel’s leadership among operators in Latin America.”
Industry research indicates that many operators are already shaping business strategies for 5G services and exploring opportunities in enterprise and industrial markets. A recent survey by Ericsson found that a large majority of respondents are conducting trials, reflecting broad interest in testing and preparing for next-generation network capabilities.