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August 2003 - Rural Cellular Corporation (RCC) has selected
Ericsson to provide CDMA2000 1X and GSM/GPRS core and
radio access infrastructure and services throughout
its network in the United States. The five-year contract
is Ericsson's first to include both CDMA and GSM/GPRS
equipment.
Beginning
immediately, Ericsson will install GSM/GPRS equipment
in RCC's Northeast Region and CDMA2000 equipment in
its Midwest region. By deploying both CDMA2000 and GSM/GPRS
overlays, RCC will be able to offer advanced wireless
services compatible with its roaming partners for both
standards.
"Ericsson's
strategy to use common core platforms for our different
technology offerings makes sense for a number of reasons,
but it is a rare distinction to provide CDMA2000 and
GSM/GPRS to a single operator," said Angel Ruiz, head
of Ericsson in North America. "Besides giving RCC a
great deal of flexibility in meeting its customers'
needs for innovative, quality services, Ericsson's common
core platform protects RCC's investments in both CDMA2000
and GSM/GPRS as its network needs evolve."
"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 Rural Cellular Corporation President and Chief
Executive Officer Richard Ekstrand. "Ericsson's common
core platform across both standards will help us maximize
our revenues and control our costs."
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