Dialog AXIATA to launch enterprise m2m self-service solution with Ericsson in Sri Lanka

• Dialog Axiata has chosen Ericsson to provide M2M connectivity delivered as a service 
• Ericsson’s Device Connection Platform will give Dialog great flexibility in developing innovative M2M products and services for enterprises in Sri Lanka
• Dialog Axiata currently addresses M2M services across diverse vertical industries, including utilities, finance, telematics and transport 

Sri Lanka’s premier connectivity provider, Dialog Axiata, is set to implement the Ericsson Device Connection Platform, delivered as a service by Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC). The solution will provide Dialog Axiata and its customers with everything they need to deploy, manage and monetize millions of machine-to-machine (M2M) connections. Dialog Axiata has been at the forefront of innovation in the telecommunications industry and is the first in Sri Lanka to launch an M2M platform.

Jeremy Huxtable, Group Chief Officer at Dialog Enterprise said: “We want our customers to benefit from state-of-the-art functionalities to deploy, scale, and operate millions of M2M connections. M2M also allows for simplified and improved processes, and this brings us a step forward in capitalizing on existing assets to drive market leadership of M2M in Sri Lanka.”

Todd Ashton, President of Ericsson Malaysia and Sri Lanka.

The Ericsson Device Connection Platform will enable Dialog Axiata to increase revenue and cut both operational costs and time–to-market. The platform will allow Dialog's enterprise customers to monitor devices anytime and anywhere, access information quickly and accurately, and integrate easily into existing systems over the complete device life cycle.

Ericsson will also use its local and global consulting and systems integration expertise to accelerate Dialog's M2M go-to-market plans. Alongside this, the ecosystem created by the Ericsson Device Connection Platform will help generate business growth for the operator as well as its customers and partners.

In a world of 50 billion connected devices as envisaged by Ericsson, many devices will communicate with applications and control systems using mobile networks. Both enterprises and consumers will make use of numerous everyday devices that benefit from M2M connectivity at home, at work, on the move, in remote locations and elsewhere.

Todd Ashton, President of Ericsson Malaysia and Sri Lanka, said: “Ericsson continues to be a committed business partner to Dialog Axiata and we are very pleased to work with them to bring our Networked Society vision to life in Sri Lanka.  We see a world with 50 billion connected devices in the next few years, and our platform will allow Dialog Axiata and its customers to take advantage of these connections.

“Dialog Axiata customers will benefit from continuous and sustainable, long-term competitive solutions based on Ericsson’s global service leadership and R&D capabilities, ensuring efficient and reliable connectivity for their devices.”

Ericsson has been a key contributer to the rapidly evolving M2M industry. Among Ericsson’s many awards in this area of industry, recent accolades include the 2012 M2M Evolution Product of the Year for its Connected Vehicle Cloud, the 2012 Smart Grid Product of the Year Award for its Smart Grid Communications Management solution, and the 2012 Network and Communications Award for its innovative solution for Smart Meter Communications.

Telstra readies Australia for extreme data speeds with 4G LTE-Advanced Carrier Aggregation

• Telstra and Ericsson successfully demonstrated speeds up to 300 Mbps with LTE Advanced Carrier Aggregation of 40 MHz over 1800 MHz band and 2600 MHz bands on Telstra's live commercial network
• Ericsson uses LTE Advanced technology to enable operators to offer higher data speeds throughout the network, improving end users mobile broadband experience through better app, browsing and media performance
• Telstra plans to deploy the technology on 700 MHz spectrum once available 

Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) successfully supported Telstra, Australia's leading telecommunication operator, in further enhancing its LTE Advanced (LTE-A) commercial service network.  Telstra and Ericsson successfully demonstrated 300 Mbps downlink speeds for a data transfer across Telstra's live network. The demonstration used Ericsson's commercially released LTE Advanced software which aggregated 20 MHz bandwidth within the 1800 MHz band and 20 MHz bandwidth within the 2600 MHz band. The demonstration included downloading video content from while measuring download throughput.

Mike Wright, Telstra Executive Director Networks, said that the tests were an important foundational step towards being able to deploy Cat 6 LTE Advanced Carrier Aggregation when Telstra receives access to the 700MHz spectrum freed up by the Digital Dividend.

"The trials we conducted overnight demonstrate the ability to aggregate two channels of 20 MHz spectrum on our commercial network. While the download speeds we achieved of 300 Mbps are very impressive, for Telstra the main outcome is that we will be able to build out the capacity in our network to manage the future wireless data needs of our customers and continue to deliver them the most reliable network speeds and experience," said Wright.

Operators who want to offer a superior user experience need to build networks that provide both excellent voice and data coverage so that users can run all their favorite apps, including video, on smartphones and tablets.  

LTE Advanced enables operators to deliver even higher performance mobile data transfer when customers need it. Operators will be able to provide subscribers throughout the network with twice the data speeds that they are receiving today by joining 20 MHz in one band to 20 MHz in another. In ideal conditions, with speeds of up to 300 Mbps, consumers will be able to download a large 800 MB file in approximately 21 seconds.

Thomas Norén, Head of Product Area Radio at Ericsson, said: "We are pleased to show with Telstra the network readiness of LTE Advanced Carrier Aggregation beyond 20 MHz. The delivery of a superior mobile broadband experience remains key as smart device users depend more upon mobile broadband for everyday life. We also look forward to continuing our work with global chipset and handset manufacturers as the Carrier Aggregation ecosystem evolves further."

Ericsson is the market leader in LTE. Today, 50 percent of the world's LTE smartphone traffic is served by Ericsson networks, which is more than double the traffic of our closest competitor. Ericsson also powers the two world's first commercially launched LTE Advanced Carrier Aggregation networks in South Korea.  More than 180 LTE RAN and Evolved Packet Core networks have been delivered worldwide, of which more than 110 have gone live commercially. Ericsson is present today in all high-traffic LTE markets including the US, Japan, South Korea, Australia and Canada, and has been selected by nine of the top 10 LTE operators as ranked by LTE subscriptions worldwide. We expect to hold 25 percent of all essential patents in LTE, both for TDD and FDD mode, and we support common hardware and software for FDD and TDD systems, giving operators maximum flexibility in their FDD and TDD deployment.

Ericsson Mobility Report: Global smartphone subscriptions to reach 5.6 billion by 2019

• Mobile subscriptions will reach 9.3 billion by 2019, 5.6 billion of which will be for smartphones 
• 90 percent of the world's population will be covered by WCDMA/HSPA in 2019 and 65 percent will be covered by LTE 
• Smartphone subscriptions will triple and smartphone traffic will increase 10 times between 2013 and 2019

The latest Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) Mobility Report reveals that mobile subscriptions are expected to reach 9.3 billion by 2019, and more than 60 percent of these - 5.6 billion - will be for smartphones. To support the smartphone user experience, WCDMA/HSPA networks are predicted to cover 90 percent of the world's population by 2019. Moreover, almost two-thirds (65 percent) of the world's population will be covered by 4G/LTE networks.

Currently, smartphones represent 25-30 percent of all mobile phone subscriptions, yet they account for the majority (55 percent) of mobile phones sold in Q3.

Douglas Gilstrap, Senior Vice President and Head of Strategy at Ericsson, says: "The rapid pace of smartphone uptake has been phenomenal and is set to continue. It took more than five years to reach the first billion smartphone subscriptions, but it will take less than two to hit the 2 billion mark1. Between now and 2019, smartphone subscriptions will triple.

"Interestingly, this trend will be driven by uptake in China and other emerging markets as lower-priced smartphone models become available."

Smartphone traffic will grow by 10 times between 2013 and 2019, reaching 10 exabytes. Video is growing 55 percent annually, and will represent more than 50 percent of the mobile data traffic, while social networking and web services will account for around 10 percent each in 2019.

This edition of Ericsson Mobility Report includes further analysis of app coverage2 - a new approach to evaluating network performance and user experience - with particular focus on indoor and city environments. Radio signals attenuate rapidly as they go through buildings and the high concentration of users, building material and height all pose additional challenges.

Having good mobile coverage is an important aspect of life for many; it is now ranked among the top five satisfaction factors of life in a city. As the majority of mobile traffic originates from cities, Ericsson compares three different strategies to provide indoor coverage using simulation software to predict the extent of app coverage in high-rise buildings in this issue.

To accompany the Mobility Report, Ericsson has created the Traffic Exploration Tool, for creating customized graphs and tables using data from the report. The information can be filtered by region, subscription, technology, traffic and device type.

1Estimated growth in total smartphone subscriptions, 2012 to 2014
2App coverage measures the network's ability to deliver sufficient performance to run a particular application at an acceptable quality level

Telstra and Ericsson conduct world's first LTE broadcast on live network

• Telstra showcased live video and large file delivery over their live LTE network 
• Ericsson's LTE Broadcast solution enables new revenue models for premium content and efficiently utilizes available LTE spectrum and network resources 
• Broadcast highlights how LTE networks can deliver the highest-quality video content to anyone, anywhere, anytime without buffering

Australia's leading telecommunications provider, Telstra, announced that it has completed the world's first LTE Broadcast session on a commercial LTE network. Ericsson's (NASDAQ:ERIC) LTE Broadcast Solution was successfully activated and tested on Telstra's live network with the transmission of concurrent video feeds and large files to enabled devices.

During the demonstration, the devices received different video feeds, including a sports match replay, sporting network news, horse racing coverage and news. Additionally, the devices received a large file using the single LTE Broadcast channel.

Mike Wright, Telstra Executive Director, Networks said: "The trial is an important step in testing this technology to see how it provides network efficiencies while providing consumers the content they want in a high-quality experience. Our goal is to ensure consumers can get the content they are looking for easily and to explore the wider benefits that might be obtained using broadcasting technology."

Thomas Norén, Vice President and Head of Project Area Radio, Ericsson says: "LTE Broadcast provides the ability to send the same content simultaneously to a very large number of devices in a target area. Mobile operators can use this ability and monetize their media and network assets for new services. Revenue generation and cost-saving opportunities are significant and provide an attractive value proposition for mobile operators."

Ericsson's LTE Broadcast solution will transform the video experience, offering the highest quality broadcast video over LTE networks and enabling service providers to optimize the use of the existing spectrum and networks, both dynamically and efficiently.

Qualcomm Labs' LTE Broadcast SDK and Middleware enabled these features on the trial devices running on Qualcomm® Snapdragon(TM) processor and integrated modem platforms.

"This is a significant milestone towards making LTE Broadcast a commercial reality," said Mazen Chmaytelli, senior director of business development, Qualcomm Labs, Inc. "We are pleased to be working closely with Telstra and Ericsson to deliver an enhanced mobile experience using Qualcomm Labs' LTE Broadcast SDK and Middleware running on Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and integrated modem platforms." Qualcomm Snapdragon is a product of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

Unique content can be delivered concurrently to a large number of subscribers, for example multiple video feeds with different angles for close-up views or replays during live sporting events. Other uses include sending updates and content to digital signage or billboards.

Consumers can also enjoy pre-loaded updates of things like software or the morning paper, so they don't need to wait for downloads in high-traffic situations.

Ericsson's Mobility Report 2013 predicts that video traffic in mobile networks will grow by around 60 percent annually until 2018. LTE Broadcast enhances LTE unicast delivery to ensure the most effective delivery of content to very large numbers of consumers in a particular area. Today, leading LTE mobile operators are trialing the technology and use cases globally to explore the business potential.

Ericsson redefines small cell market with ERICSSON Radio Dot System

• Minimalist small cell radio will fully integrate with macro mobile networks and leverage existing indoor wiring and outdoor cellular infrastructure
• Elegant, dot-shaped design is unobtrusive in environment but packs a big punch for coverage and capacity and improves indoor user experience
• 14 patents back the innovative solution

Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) is launching a cellular radio that is small enough to fit a person’s hand, but provides enough indoor network coverage for a crowd. The disk-shaped, break-through solution, called Ericsson Radio Dot System, addresses a broad range of scenarios for providing high-quality access to mobile broadband and voice services indoors.

An in-building environment presents a special set of challenges for mobile operators, concerning complexity, scalability and service continuity. Current indoor solutions are built mainly for voice coverage and do not meet the growing capacity demands of apps. Covering major parts of buildings has been challenging, for reasons such as high costs and limited scalability.

Ericsson Radio Dot System is compact and offers flexible mounting. The device weighs 300 grams, is the result of two years of research and development, and incorporates 14 patents. It introduces a revolutionary antenna element, or “dot,” which delivers mobile broadband access to users. Because of its convenient size, scalability, and compelling evolution path, this product caters to different kinds of users in medium to large indoor locations, and aims to address operators’ needs of offering a complete indoor solution.

Dots are connected and powered via standard internet LAN cables (Category 5/6/7) to indoor radio units that link to a base station. Radio Dot System leverages the same industry-leading features found in Ericsson’s macro base station. Deployments and upgrades are simple, addressing growing capacity and coverage requirements. Thus the users’ experience is consistent wherever they go and the indoor network evolves in lockstep with the outdoor network. Ericsson Radio Dot System supports integration with Ericsson’s carrier Wi-Fi portfolio enabling features such as real-time traffic steering to ensure the best user experience across both Wi-Fi and 3GPP networks.

Johan Wibergh, head of Ericsson Business Unit Networks, says: “With the Radio Dot System we lower the threshold to building indoor coverage. The dot is the most cost-effective, no-compromise solution to the indoor coverage challenges expressed by our customers. It is ultra-small but can scale to virtually unlimited capacity; it is easy to install, future proof and it is 100 percent integrated with existing mobile networks.”

The product has already been gaining interest from mobile operators in the United States. Kris Rinne, Senior Vice President, Network and Product Planning, AT&T Services, Inc., says: “Small cells are a key component of AT&T's Project VIP network enhancement program as we seek to constantly improve our customers’ mobile Internet experience. Delivering a great wireless experience indoors can present both technical and logistical challenges. A solution like the Ericsson Radio Dot System gives AT&T another tool to choose from in its next-generation toolkit."

Ken Rehbehn, Principal Analyst, Yankee Group, says:  “Sleek form factors that focus radio capability to solve the indoor deployment challenge in a fresh and compelling way will be welcomed into a wide variety of business and office venues. Ericsson Radio Dot System leverages existing indoor wire facilities to reduce installation hurdles and cost, and because it builds on Ericsson standard radio architecture, it provides an extensive feature set without compromising future evolution.”

The product is expected to be commercially available in late 2014.

Broadband's role moves up in post-2015 sustainable development

• Broadband Commission issuing new reports to be recognized by the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the post-2015 development process
• Task force report says that over the next 15 years, broadband's contribution to sustainable development will only increase in pace with its growth globally
• New research shows how countries around the world use their national broadband plans as key policy instruments to leverage the full potential of broadband as an enabling infrastructure
• Ten recommendations offered to meet sustainable development goals post 2015

The Broadband Commission for Digital Development, a joint initiative of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and UNESCO, has issued a new report looking at several aspects of broadband and its positive effects on people, environment and society. The task force which delivered the report was led by Hans Vestberg, President and CEO of Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC).

The report, entitled: "Transformational solutions for 2015 and Beyond: the report of the Broadband Commission Task force on Sustainable Development" analyzes national broadband plans for 138 countries and identifies best government practices, urges governments to act now and to include broadband in their national development agenda. It also makes a number of supporting recommendations.

The report is to be recognized by the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon. Hans Vestberg says: "As the post-2015 sustainable development agenda process evolved, we felt an urgent need to see action. We see so many opportunities for broadband to transform all aspects of society.  Technology evolves faster than policy, and we wanted to make a concerted effort to do everything we could to raise awareness of the potential."

Dr. Hamadoun Touré, Secretary General of the ITU, says: "Through this work the Broadband Commission would like to encourage the international community to recognize the need for transformative solutions in the post-2015 development agenda; and this report makes the case. The report presents for the first time new research showing how countries around the world use their national broadband plans as key policy instruments to leverage the full potential of broadband as an enabling infrastructure to accelerate sustainable development; yet there are also many missed opportunities, not least within poverty reduction and food security."

Among the ten recommendations are "make broadband affordable for all," and "deploy national development policies and plans to actively drive cross-sector integration of economic and social outcomes deliverable and scalable through ICT and broadband."

Best practices are highlighted from five countries - Japan, Mexico, the Philippines Rwanda, and Sweden -- that have successfully integrated a wide range of development goals into their national broadband plans. The task force credits a spirit of collaborating across all sectors of governments and including the private sector to realize shared aims.

The full report is available at www.broadbandcommission.org. On September 21-22, the commissioners will hold roundtables and feature guest speakers on these topics in the New York area and at the Social Good Summit at the 92Y.

ERICSSON CLOSES ACQUISITION OF MICROSOFT MEDIAROOM

• Mediaroom is the world’s most deployed IPTV platform, serving almost 13 million consumer households

• Acquisition confirms Ericsson as a world leader for cutting edge TV-over-IP delivery with a combined market share of around 25%

• Deal represents a strategic addition to Ericsson’s multi-screen offering

Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) has today completed the acquisition of Microsoft’s Mediaroom business and TV solution. Together with Ericsson’s existing capability, the acquisition places the firm as the world’s largest, by market share, and the most experienced provider of IPTV middleware technology and solutions.

As the most deployed IPTV platform, with a global market share of around 25%, Mediaroom-powered TV services are offered by nearly 60 of the world’s leading operators, delivering services to almost 13 million households, and close to 24 million set top boxes, throughout the world.

Per Borgklint, Senior Vice President and Head of Business Unit Support Solutions at Ericsson said: “This acquisition places us even more securely at the heart of an exciting and highly innovative industry. IPTV subscribers alone are predicted to grow by more than 18% each year to reach 105 million subscribers and revenue of USD 45 b. by 2015. By incorporating Mediaroom into our broad portfolio of solutions we will ensure our customers have the ultimate partner as they transform towards true TV Anywhere multi-screen services and optimized video delivery in any network”

Alongside some of the largest and most innovative telecoms operator customers and a world renowned telecoms video brand and solution, the acquisition brings to Ericsson a skilled team with deep experience in the development and delivery of innovative IPTV services.

Mediaroom is based in Mountain View, California, and is comprised of more than 400 people worldwide. The former Mediaroom business unit, including staff, will be integrated into the Ericsson group under the Business Unit Support Solutions, and will be called Ericsson Mediaroom as of today.

Today's closing follows the announcement on April 8, 2013, that Ericsson was entering into an agreement to purchase Microsoft’s Mediaroom business.

Instant messaging driving smartphone uptake in Malaysia

• Recent ConsumerLab analysis indicates that Malaysia smartphone penetration has increased from 47% in 2012 to 63% in 2013 among daily Internet users. 

• Tablet penetration has increased from 14% in 2012 to 39% in 2013 

• Apps usage jumped from 54% in 2012 to 76% in 2013  

• Total global smartphone subscriptions hit the 1.2 billion mark in 2012, and are due to reach 4.5 billion by the end of 2018 

• 60 percent of the world's population due to be covered by LTE in 2018 

In a recently-concluded analysis by Ericsson ConsumerLab in Southeast Asia and Oceania, research data from 2013 shows that among daily internet users, Malaysia smartphone penetration has increased from 47% in 2012 to 63% in 2013 while tablet penetration has increased almost three-fold from 14% in 2012 to 39% in 2013.

A noticeable change is the jump in apps usage from 54% in 2012 to 76% in 2013 among Malaysian daily internet users.

Afrizal Abdul Rahim, Head of ConsumerLab South East Asia & Oceania.

“The key drivers to purchase a smartphone are to connect to the internet and to be in touch. People’s aspiration to upgrade their current phone and own a smartphone is another key driver,” said Afrizal Abdul Rahim, Head of ConsumerLab South East Asia & Oceania.

“Mobile data services continue to experience tremendous growth among smartphone users especially for instant messaging, social network and video streaming.”

Smartphone penetration increased by 16% from 2012 to 2013. “Malaysia started with 47% smartphone penetration in 2012 among daily Internet users. Even as ownership already registered a 16% increase to 63% for 2013, an additional 17% of the respondents surveyed indicated that they would buy a smartphone in the next six months.”

SMS and Internet usage have increased among smartphone users in Malaysia, particularly instant messaging usage which has increased significantly. 2012 was about social networks and 2013 is about personal networks (IM).

Word of mouth and curiosity to try out a new app are the main factors that drive a user to download apps. App users are also motivated by an app’s functionality as well as the ability to communicate.

Among daily internet users, tablet penetration on the other hand increased by 25% from 2012 to 2013. Similar to smartphone, Internet connectivity is an important driver for tablet purchase. The convenience of using a tablet over a computer and smartphone due its size are also key drivers for tablet purchase. From a usage perspective, tablets are nocturnal devices; they are mostly used at night at home. This is followed by the tablet being used as time fillers and as companions during holidays.

Todd Ashton, President of Ericsson Malaysia and Sri Lanka.

The findings on smartphone penetration for Malaysia are aligned with Ericsson’s global findings in its June 2013 Mobility Report.  “Based on the data that we gathered from the networks that we manage around the world, we now forecast an even stronger uptake of smartphones. Smartphone subscriptions in 2018 are now forecast to reach 4.5 billion compared to our previous (Nov 2012) forecast of 3.3 billion in 2018. This is not least due to a notable increase in the number of smartphone subscriptions in APAC and MEA regions, as subscribers switch their basic phone subscriptions into smartphone subscriptions,” said Todd Ashton, President of Ericsson Malaysia and Sri Lanka.

Malaysians’ growing interest in apps, social media, video and instant messaging is also in line with the Mobility Report’s findings that mobile data traffic continued to double from last year.  “Video will be around 50% of mobile traffic in 2018, according to our estimates,” Todd said.

“Traffic in mobile networks continues to grow at an impressive rate worldwide. While voice remains a cornerstone of most operators' service offerings, it is data growth, driven by the uptake of smart devices and apps, which is having the most significant impact on networks globally.”

According to the Mobility Report, a smartphone user is expected to more than quadruple mobile monthly data consumption by 2018 compared to today, and will reach an average of 2GB data per user in 2018.  

“We expect that Malaysian mobile subscribers will indeed increase their mobile monthly data consumption, as its citizens are considered early adopters and innovators when it comes to technology,” Todd stated. “It’s already apparent in the data that we have gathered. Today, as we have seen, Malaysian app usage is ahead compared with its neighbors in Southeast Asia and even in Oceania.”

1, Including inactive smartphone subscriptions. Number of active subscriptions forecasted to 3.9 billion in 2018.

World’s first commercial LTE-Advanced call on 1800MHz and 900MHz

• Telstra and Ericsson make the world’s first call on combined 1800MHz and 900MHz spectrum bands on commercial network 
• 1800MHz and 900MHz spectrum bands are readily available to operators as they move subscribers from 2G to 3G and 4G technologies.
• Ericsson uses LTE-Advanced technology to help operators match their spectrum assets while enabling higher data speeds

Ericsson has announced that Australia’s leading telecommunications provider Telstra is the first to use the LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) Carrier Aggregation technology on 1800MHz and 900MHz spectrum bands on a commercial network. This took place on July 31, when Telstra transferred data across its live network on a number of sites in Queensland (Australia) carrying commercial traffic.

00000LTE Carrier Aggregation is the next step in the evolution of high-speed mobile broadband services, enabling operators to make the most of their existing spectrum assets by combining multiple spectrum bands to enable higher mobile broadband download speeds.

Mike Wright, Executive Director Networks, Telstra, says: “Telstra’s LTE subscriber numbers are growing dramatically, with nearly 3 million subscribers currently using the LTE network, up from 2.1 million six months ago. The capacity, higher data speeds and efficiencies provided by LTE-Advanced will help manage growth in data traffic as more customers choose our network. This will allow us to continue providing additional capacity and high-quality service, and we look forward to working with Ericsson to make this happen.”

“When we get access to 700MHz spectrum in 2015 we also intend to deploy the next-generation of LTE-Advanced by combining larger blocks of spectrum in the 700MHz and 1800MHz bands to deliver blistering peak speeds in the theoretical range of 300Mbps.”

Håkan Eriksson, Head of Ericsson Australia, New Zealand and Fiji, says: “Across the region and the globe, many operators have spectrum available in the 1800MHz and 900MHz bands as they migrate subscribers from 2G to 3G or 4G. Many operators will be watching the Australian deployment of LTE-Advanced on these spectrum bands.”

Ericsson is supporting the deployment of LTE-Advanced Carrier Aggregation on other spectrum bands in other countries such as South Korea. On July 18, for instance, Ericsson supported LG U+ in South Korea to commercially launch LTE-Advanced using both 2100MHz and 850MHz bands.

Ericsson strengthens Systems integration capabilities for OSS in South East Asia and Oceania

• Ericsson to acquire the entire business of Thailand-based TeleOSS Consulting Ltd to strengthen its systems integration capabilities for OSS in South East Asia and Oceania
• About 50 skilled systems integration professionals will join Ericsson
• Completion of acquisition expected by end of Q3, 2013

Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) today announced its intention to acquire the entire business of TeleOSS Consulting Ltd. in a business transfer agreement. TeleOSS Consulting Ltd. is a specialist in consulting and systems integration for Operating Support Systems (OSS), based in Bangkok, Thailand.

The completion of the acquisition is subject to consultation and customary closing conditions and is expected to take place by the end of Q3, 2013. The deal sees around 50 skilled, Thailand-based OSS systems integration professionals join Ericsson.

TeleOSS Consulting Ltd. delivers OSS-related solutions to telecom service providers, particularly in the areas of inventory and traffic management and software development. The acquisition complements Ericsson's existing consulting and systems integration expertise in these fields and will further strengthen the company’s customer relations and OSS transformation capabilities in South-East Asia and Oceania.

"The acquisition of the entire business of TeleOSS Consulting Ltd. will complement our capabilities in systems integration for OSS in South East Asia and Oceania, particularly in the areas of traffic and inventory management areas to offer a wide-range of solutions to our customers," says Paolo Colella, Head of Consulting and Systems Integration at Ericsson. “This strategic investment is in line with our long term ambition and commitment to strengthen our capabilities in the IT transformation area."

Tosaporn Wongweeratorn, Managing Director, TeleOSS Consulting Ltd. says. "I am convinced that this acquisition will provide a valuable addition to Ericsson’s world class capabilities in systems integration in the OSS field. Together we can help to ensure high quality service delivery to customers and their subscribers through the combined comprehensive range of OSS solutions. The service professionals that join Ericsson will also benefit from its global presence. ”

To enable customers to transform their operations and IT environments and to improve the user experience, increase efficiency and enable service innovation, Ericsson offers a combination of strong services capabilities and a comprehensive software portfolio. Ericsson has 15,000 consulting and systems integration professionals who deliver more than 1,500 consulting, systems integration and learning services projects in multivendor and multi-technology environments each year.

SingTel first to provide roaming customers with Auto Network Selection

• Network selection feature automatically connects roamers’ mobile devices to preferred partner networks
• Protects customers from accidental connection to providers outside partner networks
• Feature supports LTE roaming as well as 2G and 3G roaming

SingTel is the first mobile operator worldwide to provide customers with a network selection feature that automatically connects customers’ mobile devices to preferred partner networks when roaming. The service comes with SingTel’s DataRoam Saver plans and is based on Ericsson’s (NASDAQ: ERIC) Service-Aware Charging and Control solution. It ensures that data is only consumed when devices are connected to SingTel’s partner networks.

Johan Buse, Vice President of Consumer Marketing at SingTel, says: "The auto-network selection feature provides our customers with a worry-free roaming experience by eliminating bill shock. With our DataRoam Saver and EasyDataRoam service, travellers have total control of their roaming expenses and can enjoy tremendous cost savings in 44 countries worldwide. Activation of these services is also quick and simple with the use of our MySingTel app."

Nicholas Seow, President for Singapore and Brunei at Ericsson, says “We are delighted to partner with SingTel, the first operator globally to offer auto network selection for their customers. Ericsson’s Service-Aware Charging and Control solution provides the foundation for the delivery of high-quality, easy-to-use services, and makes it easy and convenient for subscribers to activate new services and control their spending. The feature also enables operators to ensure they are delivered with the expected quality-of-service which leads to greater user satisfaction.

The feature supports LTE roaming as well as 2G and 3G roaming.

‘ERICSSON TV LIVE’ EXPLORES EVOLVING MEDIA LANDSCAPE AT BROADCAST ASIA

• Unique presentations, demonstrations and hospitality area highlight industry’s most complete portfolio of award-winning broadcast and video solutions
• Responds to evolving APAC market and consumer demands for next-generation multi-screen TV experiences
• Asia Pacific debut of a number of new Ericsson video solutions

Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) will welcome guests to its ‘Ericsson TV LIVE’ event at Broadcast Asia 2013, Asia’s largest integrated show for the pro-audio, film and TV industries (Room 5M8-01/02). As well as the opportunity to view demonstrations of a number of next-generation solutions that will be on show in the Asia Pacific region for the first time, visitors will be able to hear from a number of Ericsson TV experts as they take to the stage to discuss the changing media landscape and the challenges and requirements faced in meeting evolving consumer demand.

According to a March 2013 study by Digital TV Research, pay-TV revenues in Asia Pacific will be $12 billion higher in 2018 ($43.9 billion total) than in 2012. In fact, the report estimates that pay TV revenues (through subscriptions and on-demand) will grow by $2.1 billion in 2013 alone to $33.9 billion. With rapid digital conversion and a continually growing number of video-enabled mobile devices comes increased consumer demand for next-generation services, and new players competing with traditional broadcasters for viewers and subscribers. Demonstrations and presentations at Ericsson TV LIVE at Broadcast Asia will show how Ericsson is responding to these major trends, enabling operators to effectively manage, deliver and monetize the next generation of TV Anywhere services.

“The TV and media industry in the Asia Pacific region continues to boom, but we are at an important stage in the market’s growth, with digital penetration and pay-TV revenues rapidly rising, as well as the requirement to meet the challenges of today’s connected consumer,” said Ward Hansford, Head of APAC region, TV Compression Business, Ericsson. “Ericsson TV LIVE at Broadcast Asia provides the perfect opportunity for our TV experts to meet with broadcasters and operators and explore how we can help enable them to become more profitable, productive and ultimately, successful in their business.”

Ericsson TV LIVE offers a number of opportunities to meet the company’s TV experts, via a combination of one-to-one conversations, live demonstrations of Ericsson’s portfolio of solutions, as well as presentations and seminars on the central stage.

Visitors will be able to meet key members of the senior Ericsson team and experience the company’s latest cutting-edge TV solutions designed to enable efficient video-centric networks and drive service evolution of TV in a multi-screen world. Highlights of the Ericsson TV LIVE area will include the Asia Pacific debut of:

• The AVP 4000, a high performance compression platform which raises the bar for efficiency and flexibility in the delivery of TV services over all networks. Powered by Ericsson’s first-ever in-house developed programmable video processing chip, it is a unique single platform addressing multiple applications, regardless of codec, resolution or network.
• LTE Broadcast – Ericsson’s unique end-to-end broadcast solution for video delivery over LTE networks. Ericsson’s LTE Broadcast solution will transform the costs and efficiency of delivering high quality TV and video experiences over mobile networks, to all devices. It comprises three technology standards:
o HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding) – the new video compression standard promises to half the bandwidth required to transport video content compared to today’s leading implementation
o MPEG DASH (Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (DASH)) – simplifies and standardizes the delivery of video to all consumer devices, ensuring a better quality of service, greater efficiency and opening opportunities for monetization
o eMBMS (Evolved Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service)– is a 3GPP standard, it enables mobile networks to offer broadcast/multicast services dynamically to offload issues of popular content in dense consumption scenarios, reducing the cost of service delivery over the radio network and for backhaul.
• Operator CDN, the Ericsson Media Delivery Network, which is uniquely designed to unite the delivery of managed and unmanaged content over fixed and mobile networks.

There will also be live demonstrations of MPEG-DASH adaptive streaming and Ultra High Definition TV (UHDTV). Additional demonstrations include state-of-the-art multi-screen user interfaces for TV Anywhere experiences, enabling operators to meet consumer need by delivering rich, blended services on all screens, as well as the third generation of Ericsson’s market-leading Content Management System. The system now offers live TV Electronic Programming Guide (EPG) management, as well as time-shifted TV and distribution management and a focus on advanced metadata management.

Attendees will also be able to discuss the Ericsson Certification for TV Professionals, Ericsson’s own program that has been designed to enable TV professionals to have the knowledge and requisite skillsets to adjust to the rapid development in broadcast solutions and technologies.

In addition to on-stage presentations during Ericsson TV LIVE, attendees to Broadcast Asia and CommunicAsia 2013 can also hear from Ericsson speakers during the main conference programs:

Broadcast Asia 2013
Jon Sonsteby, Senior Director, Business Sales and Development, TV Software, Ericsson
June 18, 12.00pm – 12.30pm
‘Monetising OTT: Content Owners Competing in A New Game’
Track: Embracing OTT Opportunities in Asia

Jon Sonsteby, Senior Director, Business Sales and Development, TV Software, Ericsson
June 18, 4.30pm – 5.10pm
Panel: ‘Monetising OTT – What Business Models are Working and Why?’
Track: Embracing OTT Opportunities in Asia

Tony Moran, Head of TV for Australia, New Zealand & South East Asia, Ericsson
June 19, 3.00pm – 3.30pm
‘Beyond Architectures, building DTT industries’
Track: DVB-T2: Opening up your business for multiplexing broadcasting

Eugene Sarmiento, Head of TV Sales, APAC, Ericsson
June 19, 4.40pm – 5.20pm
‘How Can Connected TV Bring New Money to the TV Industry?’
Track: OTT The New Content Experience

Fabio Murra, Head of TV Portfolio Marketing, Compression, Ericsson
June 20, 11.50am – 12.20pm
‘Multi-screen ecosystems to enable the monetization of TV services’
Track: Multi-platform content – Moving towards effective monetization

CommunicAsia 2013
Lisa Skelton, Head of Marketing, Video and Data Traffic Optimization, Ericsson
June 18, 12.30pm – 1.00pm
‘Increasing Your Revenue Stream Via The Growth in Video Traffic’
Track: CDN Summit

MEASAT AND ERICSSON TRIAL UHDTV SATELLITE CONTRIBUTION

• Broadcast Asia demonstration of encoding system shows efficient delivery of next-generation video 
• Responds to growing consumer demand for the very highest quality TV services 
• System comprises Ericsson encoders and modular receivers

MEASAT Satellite Systems Sdn. Bhd. (MEASAT) has begun trials with Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) to demonstrate the ability to provide live Ultra High Definition TV (UHDTV) video contribution over MEASAT’s satellite network. As UHDTV gains momentum and operators explore how it can become part of the future roadmap, there remains the challenge of enabling necessary workflows through the entire broadcasting ecosystem to the home.

Ericsson and MEASAT are demonstrating a live solution at Broadcast Asia 2013, Asia’s largest representative, integrated show for the pro-audio, film and TV industries. The system shows how UHDTV premium coverage such as live sport can be broadcast today.

“MEASAT looks forward to supporting UHDTV across Asia, beginning with this trial on our high-powered MEASAT-3 satellite. UHDTV will take consumer expectations for high quality picture to a new level. We are therefore ensuring that the necessary solutions and systems are in place to deliver the next generation of TV services that meet evolving consumer demand,” said Jarod Lopez, Vice President, Broadcast Sales, MEASAT. “We are excited about the UHDTV trial using Ericsson’s reliable and efficient solution and will ensure that we have the infrastructure in place to distribute and broadcast 4K content over satellite in a reliable and robust manner.”

MEASAT has a reach that covers over 150 countries across Asia, Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Australia, representing 80% of the world’s population. The Ericsson solution that it has in place for the UHDTV trial uses Ericsson’s AVP 2000 contribution encoders and RX8200 advanced modular receivers.
“We understand that with consumer demand for higher quality comes greater pressure on broadcasters to increase service velocity while maintaining the high standards that are expected,” said Dr. Giles Wilson, Head of TV Compression Business, Ericsson. “This trial with MEASAT demonstrates how content providers and broadcasters can simply and effectively build their UHDTV content libraries so that they are ready for commercial launch in the coming years. Ericsson is a pioneer of next-generation TV services and is committed to enabling the industry to meet consumer demand, rather than chase it.”

Ericsson’s AVP 2000 and RX8200 solutions deliver the highest levels of performance including 4:2:2, 10bit support as well as p50/60 support. As they use MPEG-4 AVC encoding technology, the same devices can also be re-used for HD and SD contribution applications. Ericsson has also employed its Simulsync technology to ensure that the delivery of the UHDTV images remains perfectly in sync.

Ericsson Mobility Report: LTE and smartphone uptake drives video traffic growth

• Video traffic growing by 60 percent annually, driven by better network speeds
• Total global smartphone subscriptions hit the 1.2 billion mark in 2012, and are due to reach 4.5 billion by the end of 2018 
• 60 percent of the world's population due to be covered by LTE in 2018
• Smartphone users spend most time on social networks: an average of 85 minutes a day in some networks 
• Data traffic volumes doubled between Q1 2012 and Q1 2013, and are expected to grow 12-fold by 2018

The new edition of the Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) Mobility Report reveals that mobile-data traffic will continue to grow significantly in the coming years, a trend driven mainly by video. Overall data traffic is expected to grow 12-fold by the end of 2018. Increasing usage is driven by continual growth in the amount of content available as well as the improved network speeds that come with HSPA and LTE development.

Douglas Gilstrap, Senior Vice President and Head of Strategy at Ericsson, says: "LTE services will be available to about 60 percent of the world's population in 2018. We expect LTE subscriptions to exceed 1 billion in 2017, driven by more capable devices and demand for data-intensive services such as video. Owing to the build out of WCDMA/HSPA, network speeds have improved, and so has the user experience."

Video makes up the largest segment of data traffic in networks, and it is expected to grow around 60 percent annually up until the end of 2018. Video consumption is on average 2.6GB per subscription per month in some networks.

While video is popular, users don't necessarily tend to spend the most time on data-heavy applications. Consumers spend more time on social networking: an average of up to 85 minutes per day in some networks.

Smartphones accounted for around half of all mobile-phone sales in Q1 2013, compared with roughly 40 percent for the whole of 2012. The number of total mobile subscriptions grew by 8 percent globally year-on-year by Q1 2013. Of those, WCDMA/HSPA added around 60 million subscriptions, GSM/EDGE-only subscriptions grew by roughly 30 million, and LTE added around 20 million new subscriptions. Mobile-broadband subscriptions grew even faster over this period (at a rate of 45 percent year-on-year), reaching around 1.7 billion.

The Mobility Report also addresses the concept of "app coverage" - broadening the definition of coverage from voice to include how well users are able to access their mobile apps - and presents a new framework explaining the effects of varying network performance in a way that is relevant to the user.

In this edition of the report, the relationship between network performance and consumer loyalty is also studied. Network performance is the principal driver of subscriber loyalty to mobile operators, followed by value for money. Other sections of the report explain the effects of smartphone signaling on data traffic, and look at data roaming, identifying opportunities for operators to generate new revenue streams.

New platform streamlines M2M for Malaysia’s DiGi

• DiGi enterprise customers can connect millions of M2M and consumer devices with faster time-to-market
• Ericsson Device Connection Platform provides M2M connectivity as a service

Malaysian operator DiGi Telecommunications Sdn Bhd (“DiGi”) is to implement the Ericsson Device Connection Platform, delivered as a service by Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC). The solution will provide DiGi and its customers with everything they need to deploy, manage and monetize millions of machine-to-machine (M2M) and consumer-electronics devices.

The Ericsson Device Connection Platform will allow DiGi to increase revenue and cut both operational costs and time–to-market. The M2M platform will enable DiGi's enterprise customers to monitor devices anytime and anywhere, access information quickly and accurately, and integrate easily into existing systems over the complete device life cycle.

Akash Das, DiGi’s Head of M2M (Strategy).

Ericsson will also use its local and global consulting and systems integration expertise to accelerate DiGi's M2M go-to-market plans, while the ecosystem created by the Device Connection Platform will help generate business growth for the operator as well as its customers and partners.

For a mobile operator, M2M business means deploying and managing large numbers of mobile subscriptions on an industrial scale. The new platform will provide flexibility to DiGi’s partners and customers in deploying and managing mobile subscriptions for solutions that include M2M functionality. As part of the global Telenor Group, which also owns leading M2M company Telenor Connexion, DiGi can draw on more than 12 years of M2M experience.

According to Akash Das, DiGi’s Head of M2M (Strategy), the company already provides M2M services to a variety of customers across several industry verticals, all of which will now be gradually migrated to the Ericsson Device Connection Platform. He says: “This strategic development will allow us to strengthen our M2M offerings to our growing customer base, and it will ready our customers for new business strategies that rely on a broad spectrum of devices as data services become more mature in Malaysia. This new platform will enable DiGi to offer the highest level of reliable and flexible M2M connectivity services to our enterprise customers.”

Todd Ashton, President of Ericsson Malaysia and Sri Lanka.

Todd Ashton, President of Ericsson Malaysia and Sri Lanka, says: “As DiGi's M2M partner, we will support its strategy of growing to become one of Malaysia’s leading operators in the M2M-services arena. This partnership is in line with Ericsson's vision of the Networked Society where any device that benefits from a connection is connected, making people’s lives and businesses better and more efficient. We expect that there will be more than 50 billion devices connected around the world by 2020, mainly using M2M connectivity.

“Enterprises often have to address multiple challenges that hinder them from launching services using connected devices. Partnering with Ericsson removes those barriers, so an M2M business can scale up quickly.”

1 billion subscribers benefit from Ericsson’s managed services

• Ericsson reaches milestone of providing managed services to networks that serve 1 billion subscribers 
• As the undisputed leader in managed services, Ericsson has signed more than 300 contracts worldwide
• The trend toward anywhere, always-on broadband connectivity and excellent user experience continues to drive the demand for managed services

In an increasingly Networked Society, a growing number of devices are expected to use broadband connections to deliver a wide array of rich communication and multimedia services, anytime, anywhere. Even more advanced network solutions are required to meet the demand for superior performance, and the natural solution for operators is to sign managed services contracts with partners that assume responsibility for activities such as operating and managing their networks.

As the world’s leading provider of communications technology and services, Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) pioneered managed services for telecom and continues to be the frontrunner in this area. With well over 15 years of experience in managing multi-vendor, multi-technology networks, Ericsson industrialized the concept of delivering managed services for multiple operators through outstanding Global Service Centers and a strong field service organization.

Network operations have traditionally been central to the business of providing communications services. During the past decade, however, this has changed. In an age that has seen the introduction of 3G, LTE (4G) and other great innovations, many operators have chosen to appoint a vendor to manage either the new technology or the legacy technology. To stand out from the competition, operators need to focus on finding new ways of driving business innovation and improving quality of experience for their customers.

In order to achieve these goals, Ericsson is pioneering the development of the Experience Centric Managed Services model, which offers operators benefits such as continuous service improvement, reduced time to market, access to technical competence, and a shared focus on user experience. The end result is satisfied users, lower subscriber churn rates, higher average revenue per user and a more cost-efficient operation.

Magnus Mandersson, Executive Vice President and Head of Business Unit Global Services, says: “We’re very proud to have passed the 1 billion subscriber milestone, as this confirms our leadership in managed services. We achieved this goal by earning the trust of our customers with our high-performance operations and processes and our skilled people, which are at the heart of Ericsson’s services business. This milestone is just one of many on the journey we have undertaken. The next step is to make the transition from traditional managed services to Experience Centric Managed Services.”

To achieve global scale, Ericsson has invested more than USD 1 billion in tools, methods and processes for service delivery and established Global Service Centers in Romania, Mexico, India and China to deliver managed services remotely for a large number of networks across the globe.

Managed services is about people and competence, and over the years more than 25,000 employees have transferred to Ericsson from operators around the world. Ericsson is continuously looking for new ways to help its customers put their customers first. We believe that – in addition to enhancing innovation, agility and speed – managed services can enable operators to focus on specialization and place a greater emphasis on user experience and customer relationships.

Ericsson brings carrier-grade Wi-Fi to mobile broadband

• User experience of Wi-Fi moves beyond “best effort” through seamless integration with mobile networks
• Ericsson’s industry-first, real-time traffic steering dynamically optimizes operator network resources
• New, high-performance indoor Wi-Fi, cloud controller options and integrated mobile broadband management strengthen Ericsson’s heterogeneous networks differentiation

A smooth and seamless integration of Wi-Fi access is an increasingly important part of any mobile broadband service. Most smartphone users have experienced the frustration of being automatically connected to a Wi-Fi network only to face a noticeably slower connection speed.

To ensure users always get the best connection, Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) today announces its 3GPP compliant Wi-Fi network access, control and management solutions. These enable mobile operators to easily incorporate Wi-Fi in their heterogeneous network strategy, while delivering a consistently high-performance user experience, even in high traffic areas. Incorporating Wi-Fi is a key focus of tier-one mobile operators.

Daryl Schoolar, Principal Analyst, Network Infrastructure at Ovum, said: "Ericsson has clearly differentiated its carrier Wi-Fi solution through tighter integration with mobile operator’s 3GPP access, control and network management. This approach should yield a better end-user experience by preventing some of Wi-Fi’s well-known bad habits from being imposed upon users. At the same time, operators should welcome the tight integration of Wi-Fi and mobile, as exemplified by Ericsson’s solution, thanks to the benefits derived from improving network resource optimization and ease in implementing and delivering Wi-Fi service offerings.”

Key to the user experience is an Ericsson industry-first feature that automatically selects the best connection: real-time traffic steering. Ericsson’s real-time traffic steering is a software upgrade that constantly assesses key performance indicators in both the mobile 3GPP network and the Wi-Fi network before dynamically and seamlessly shifting the consumer’s smartphone connection between networks. This ensures the best user experience and optimizes network resources. Real-time traffic steering is a network-driven feature requiring no user intervention or additional device software.  Ericsson also now supports access selection, a self-optimizing network (SON) feature enabling load-balancing between Wi-Fi and 3GPP networks to optimize the average user experience.

Thomas Noren, Vice President and Head of Product Area Radio, Ericsson, says: “Heterogeneous network strategies among leading mobile operators are focused on delivering a great mobile broadband experience to their customers, wherever they are. By coordinating licensed small cells with the macro cell, as we announced earlier this year, and intelligently integrating Wi-Fi and 3GPP throughout the network, we’re providing operators with the most effective way to deliver consistently high performance consumer connections.”

With indoor areas increasingly prone to mobile network congestion, Ericsson has also developed the first 802.11ac access point designed to enable mobile operators to deliver supplemental small cell or standalone Wi-Fi coverage indoors. The 802.11ac standard is common on tablets and increasingly prevalent on smartphones.

Two new cloud-controller options, both featuring 3GPP-standard interfaces to the mobile core, make it easier and more cost-efficient for operators to add Wi-Fi to their existing mobile services. The Ericsson Evo Controller now features a Wi-Fi controller blade, the WIC 8030. A new standalone controller, the WIC 8100, supports up to 10,000 access points and 500,000 concurrent subscribers, allowing operators to consolidate multiple Wi-Fi networks from a centralized location in a cost-efficient way.

Ericsson is also introducing integrated management of Wi-Fi and 3GPP networks on a common platform, simplifying operations and reducing network costs.

These new Wi-Fi 3GPP integration products and features provide complementary and incremental benefits to emerging industry standard features that Ericsson supports, including:  Access Network Discovery and Selection Function (ANDSF), IP session mobility (also referred to as IP address preservation) and Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Passpoint™ (based on the Wi-Fi Alliance Hotspot 2.0 Specification).  Ericsson also offers Wi-Fi 3GPP integration solutions to optimize the user experience for operators targeting residential Wi-Fi coverage.  At MWC 2013, Ericsson announced a new Wi-Fi Gateway application on the Smart Services Router (SSR) which also supports integration of Wi-Fi networks with mobile broadband infrastructure.

Ericsson to acquire Microsoft Mediaroom

• Underlines Ericsson's commitment to being partner of choice for Video distribution across multiple networks and devices
• Places Ericsson in lead for TV Anywhere consumption 
• Ericsson becomes leading player for innovative video distribution with combined market share of more than 25%

Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) has reached an agreement with Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) to acquire its TV solution Mediaroom business. This will make Ericsson the leading provider of IPTV and multi-screen solutions with a market share of over 25%. Closing expected during the second half of 2013.   Mediaroom is situated in Mountain View, California and employs more than 400 people worldwide.  

Per Borgklint, Senior Vice President and Head of Business Unit Support Solutions at Ericsson said: "Ericsson's vision of the Networked Society foresees 50 billion devices to be connected via broadband, mobility and cloud. Future video distribution will have a similar impact on consumer behavior and consumption as mobile voice has had. This acquisition contributes to a leading position for Ericsson with more than 40 customers, serving over 11 million subscriber households. In addition, Ericsson will be powered with senior competence and some of the most talented people within the field of IPTV distribution."
The global IPTV market is estimated to reach 76 million subscribers in 2013 with revenues of 32 BUSD, growing to 105 million subscribers and 45 BUSD in 2015.

"Mediaroom is the leading platform for video distribution deployed with the world's largest IPTV operators. This strategic acquisition positions Ericsson as an industry leader thanks to the skills and experiences of the talented people of Mediaroom combined with Ericsson's end to end service capabilities" Borgklint concluded.

The total media solution portfolio of Ericsson in the TV and video space combined with a further increased focus on consumer needs will be the foundation for providing services to end users. The importance of video distribution capabilities for the customers and their consumers will be increasing as more and more LTE networks are deployed and filled with smartphone users.

"We are proud of the number one IPTV market position that we have achieved with Mediaroom. Ericsson's complementary portfolio of TV and networking services will help drive the future growth and development of Mediaroom," said Tom Gibbons, Corporate Vice President of Microsoft Corporation. "Ericsson is positioned to be a valuable strategic partner for operators and TV service providers around the world as the IPTV market evolves."

Microsoft Mediaroom is the TV technology behind many of the world's leading television service providers like AT&T U-verse®, Entertain of Deutsche Telekom, Telefonica, TELUS Optik TV(TM) and Swisscom. Mediaroom-powered TV services are offered on more than 22 million set top boxes deployed throughout the Americas, EMEA and APAC.

Ericsson already sees that the ever-changing behaviors of TV consumers are evolving faster than ever. Speed of innovation and intelligent solutions drive consumer propositions in TV anywhere. This development will continue to fuel the industry as convergence becomes reality. The development requires content owners, broadcasters, TV service providers and operators to re-think their propositions.

This move builds on Ericsson's triple Emmy award-winning leadership in the media industry, providing its customers with a truly unique experience in TV anywhere spanning the entire media value chain from camera to consumer.

The agreement is subject to customary regulatory approvals and other conditions. Mediaroom will be incorporated into Business Unit Support Solutions.

Taste of Barcelona: Highlights from Mobile World Congress 2013

• Ericsson predicts growing subscriptions for LTE; smartphone shipments to exceed 50%; and mobile internet users will exceed fixed internet users by end of 2013
• New solutions for Networked Society focus on superior network quality and performance, improved end-customer experience, and operational excellence
• Ericsson unveils Ericsson Cloud Systems, its cloud-based solution roadmap to deliver better performance, end user experience, and new revenue streams for mobile service providers

At Taste of Barcelona 2013, held on 14 March 2013, Ericsson Malaysia presented a picture of what was unveiled at Mobile World Congress 2013 which included new products, services and solutions to support its customers in network evolution, process transformation and innovation and capturing growth opportunities.
At the briefing, new President of Ericsson Malaysia & Sri Lanka, Todd Ashton said: “Barcelona this year was busier than ever. But cutting through the noise and hundreds of announcements, we shared our key innovations to bring our Networked Society vision to life.”

“Given the demands for better connectivity and user experience, high quality video delivery as well as profitability in the industry, Ericsson identified 5 key drivers in shaping its portfolio strategy. These include Network Performance, Operational Excellence, Customer Experience, Growth Opportunities, and Telecoms & IT Convergence.”

Todd Ashton, President of Ericsson Malaysia & Sri Lanka, and Petra Schirren, Head of Engagement Practice - Mobile Broadband, Ericsson South East Asia & Oceania.

Also presenting at the briefing was Petra Schirren, Head of Engagement Practice - Mobile Broadband, Ericsson South East Asia & Oceania. Schirren said, “We launched the Antenna Integrated Radio (AIR) 32 which enables the smooth and cost-efficient introduction of LTE and HSPA without the need to add additional antennas or remote radio units to sites. Compared with existing AIR products, AIR 32 enables up to 70% higher throughput and up to 25% increased indoor coverage, it also allows multiple active frequencies in a single unit, enabling a 50% reduction of radio equipment.”

Ericsson Unique AIR (Antenna integrated Radio), provides a 3 dB+ advantage that provides operators many economic benefits related to the cost of providing coverage and running the network. Competitor ‘no edge’ networks require additional sites to overcome this advantage. AIR, provide superior radio performance and the compact integration of the radio unit in to antenna. AIR enables the smooth and cost-efficient introduction of LTE and HSPA without the need to add additional antennas or remote radio units to the sites. It improved the look of the sites, reduced Opex for operator and provide up to 70% higher data throughput and up to 25% increased indoor coverage.

At the Mobile World Congress, held in Barcelona, President and CEO of Ericsson, Hans Vestberg said, “By the end of 2013, more than 50% of phone shipments will be smartphones, driven by more affordable models,” predicted Vestberg, noting that users appreciate having apps and data seamlessly available on multiple devices. The cross-communication between machines, people, and content is changing the way we as humans behave, and the way service providers do business. Vestberg foresees that the industry will see more pricing models – tiered, shared, and bundled, as well as further expansion into digital services to find new revenues.

“As we have the internet in our pockets, our virtual and real worlds are coming together. Online interaction enriches our living, working and entertainment and breaks down barriers of time and place. By the end of 2013, there will be more mobile internet users than fixed internet users,” he said, adding another prediction that 2013 will be the year LTE subscriptions exceed 100 million.

With its high speed and capacity, an LTE network can enable delivery of high-quality content, especially video, without buffering.  The launch of LTE Broadcast is Ericsson’s new offering for operators and their media partners to capture new revenues, by providing premium services with guaranteed quality and cost-efficient delivery over LTE. Vestberg announced during the press conference that Verizon Wireless and Telstra are already signed on with the solution.

By the end of Q4 2012, Ericsson had supplied more than 60 live commercial LTE networks on all continents. About 50% of all smartphone traffic on LTE runs through Ericsson networks.

During Mobile World Congress 2013 in Barcelona, Ericsson showcased its combined technology and services leadership for the Information and Communications Technology industry.  Ericsson’s solutions deliver superior network performance in the field, enable complete customer experience management, simplify and automate operations workflows thereby leading to operational excellence.

Ericsson signs 100th Evolved Packet Core contract

• Telstra and Ericsson agree to extend strategic partnership to deliver world-class LTE experience for Telstra users and expand Telstra's LTE network across Australia
• Advanced technology trial and subsequent deployment of LTE-Advanced Carrier Aggregation in 900MHz and 1800MHz spectrum bands
• LTE heterogeneous network trial and LTE Broadcast trial to further enhance Telstra's network

Telstra and Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) today announced the renewal of their longstanding strategic partnership to deliver a world-class LTE experience for Telstra's users. The renewed contract, announced at the Mobile World Congress, will include an expansion of Telstra's LTE network across Australia, reaching more Australians with improved coverage, capacity and availability.

The partnership also includes the implementation of a program of advanced technology trials - of LTE-Advanced Carrier Aggregation, LTE heterogeneous networks and LTE Broadcast - to further enhance Telstra's network.

Nearly 1.6 million mobile subscribers have joined Telstra over the past 12 months and data usage on its Next G network is doubling each year.

David Thodey, Chief Executive Officer of Telstra, says: "Telstra is very proud of the work that we are undertaking with Ericsson to ensure Australia remains at the forefront of mobile connectivity. We believe these initiatives are a way of efficiently maintaining our high quality network and meeting sustained, growing customer demand."

By combining spectrum assets for LTE networks - such as the use of the 1800MHz and 900MHz bands - the LTE-Advanced Carrier Aggregation trial will pave the way for future improvements in capacity and coverage.

Ericsson's coordinated solution for small cells in heterogeneous networks ensures high-quality capacity and connectivity in even the most densely populated city areas. The Telstra trial will examine how small-cell technology can improve the future scalability and densification of its LTE network.

In the third trial for 2013, for the LTE Broadcast solution, Ericsson will deploy Evolved Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (eMBMS) technology into Telstra's live network. As part of the trial, premium video and file-based content will be broadcast over the LTE network to test how video and other content can be more efficiently delivered through application of dynamic offload, particularly in dense consumption scenarios.

Ericsson President and CEO Hans Vestberg says: "Under this agreement, Ericsson continues as Telstra's prime vendor of 3G and 4G RAN technology. The trials for Telstra will provide insights applicable not only on the Australian market but also globally. For example, the heterogeneous networks trial will be of interest to operators around the world who want to ensure capacity and connectivity in densely populated city areas. And the LTE Broadcast trial will show how Ericsson technology can deliver media content efficiently over LTE."

The agreement includes provision of hardware, software, customer service, construction services and the innovative technology trials.

During Mobile World Congress 2013 in Barcelona, Ericsson showcases its combined technology and services leadership for the ICT industry. Our solutions deliver superior network performance in the field, enable complete customer experience management, and simplify and automate operations workflows - thereby leading to operational excellence. We show how the Networked Society comes to life - what it will mean for the industry and how it will enable our customers to capture growth opportunities.