Romanian operator RCS & RDS is beginning a multi-year modernisation project to prepare its network for 5G and the IoT.
The company has selected Ericsson to replace existing equipment at its mobile arm Digi Mobil with new hardware supporting 5G and NB-IoT connectivity. Neither party specified which vendor was being replaced.
Specifically, it will deploy the Ericsson Radio System, its end-to-end portfolio of cellular hardware and software, in Romania’s capital Bucharest from December.
Projects in other cities will follow, with customers across the entire network expected to benefit from the additional capacity.
Digi Mobil has 3.6 million customers, making it the fourth largest operator in Romania behind Telekom, Vodafone and market leader Orange.
Valentin Popoviciu, EVP at RCS & RDS, said: “The additional network capacity allowed by this technology will enable us to address in an advanced manner a larger base of customers in Bucharest, Romania’s largest city, while also offering better quality and more reliable services for all of our existing customers.”
Arun Bansal, SVP and Head of Europe and Latin America at Ericsson, said: “Operators need solutions they can deploy within today’s networks to manage the growth of current services as they prepare for 5G. By future-proofing its network, RCS&RDS can take advantage of 5G and IoT technology concepts and reap the benefits of the technology now.
“This partnership represents a great step for Romania towards 5G and the IoT, taking the mobile broadband experience of subscribers to a new level. In addition, our leading solutions will allow RCS & RDS to explore new revenue opportunities, to further extend its business as it evolves to 5G.”