30th October - Ericsson has been selected by Uruguay's leading telecom operator, Administración Nacional de Telecomunicaciones (ANTEL), to be the supplier for its dual 2G/3G core network modernization program.

Under the contract Ericsson will be the integrator and take full turnkey responsibility for the supply of equipment, deployment, integration, and live migration. Rollout has started while the complete installation and integration is expected to be finished during last quarter 2007.

Ericsson will provide a common 2G/3G core network including the Ericsson Mobile Softswitch Solution. This will enable ANTEL to cost-effectively improve network capacity and deliver a range of innovative multimedia services to its customers while taking the first step towards an all-IP network.

José Luis Saldías, CEO of ANTEL, says: "The decision to invest with Ericsson confirms our intent to offer best-in-class services to our customers. This turnkey agreement is significant in that it allows ANTEL to focus on our customers' needs while Ericsson concentrates on upgrading and evolving our core switching infrastructure."

Luis López, President of Ericsson Uruguay, says: "We are delighted to further consolidate our long-standing partnership with ANTEL to transform and expand its network infrastructure by offering a proven migration of telephony services."

Ericsson has worked with ANTEL since 1984 on numerous projects, including the launch of its mobile services in 1994 and its evolution to GSM in 2003.