M-Tel launches LTE network in Bulgaria, expands partnership with Ericsson

M-Tel launches LTE services for its business customers in Bulgaria
First step towards provision of top-quality services to more than 4 million end users
First LTE launch in Bulgaria
Ericsson, the world’s leading provider of communications technology and services, today announces that helped M-Tel to launch LTE services for its customers in Bulgaria in January 2012. This development followed the successful LTE demonstration in September 2011, and marked the first step towards the provision of high-quality mobile broadband services to more than 4 million customers, as well as the first launch of LTE services in Bulgaria.

Horst Pertl, CTO, M-Tel Bulgaria, says: "Deployment of LTE technology will benefit Bulgarian society as a whole. According to research, a 10 percentage point increase in broadband penetration results in an approximately 1 percentage point sustainable GDP increase. That’s why M-Tel is investing in developing an LTE network."

Maurizio De Dominicis, Head of Ericsson in Southeastern Europe, says: "Innovation is driven by people and Ericsson is the right partner to support M-Tel’s vision of contributing to Bulgarian society. Being first to launch LTE in Bulgaria is a great achievement for M-Tel and all of us at Ericsson are committed to supporting them in this new journey."

In addition to supplying infrastructure, equipment and software, Ericsson designed, deployed and optimized the new LTE network. Ericsson’s unique combination of quality, speed and reliability continues to make it the partner of choice.

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Ericsson is the world's leading provider of communications technology and services. We are enabling the Networked Society with efficient real-time solutions that allow us all to study, work and live our lives more freely, in sustainable societies around the world.

Our offering comprises services, software and infrastructure within Information and Communications Technology for telecom operators and other industries. Today more than 40 percent of the world's mobile traffic goes through Ericsson networks and we support customers’ networks servicing more than 2 billion subscribers.

We operate in 180 countries and employ more than 100,000 people. Founded in 1876, Ericsson is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden. In 2011 the company had revenues of SEK 226,9 billion (USD 35,0 billion). Ericsson is listed on NASDAQ OMX, Stockholm and NASDAQ, New York stock exchanges.

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M-Tel

Mobiltel is part of Telekom Austria Group and is the communications market leader in Bulgaria, as well as one of the most successful telecom operators in Europe with 5.5 million clients and 48.6 % market share. M-Tel proved its position of full telecom provider after the acquisition of fiber operators in 2011, thus offering to the clients mobile and fixed services, broadband Internet, as well as high quality IPTV.

Over the last years, since Mobiltel became part of TAG, it has invested in the network nearly EUR 700 million. The telecom’s investment as percentage of the GDP is the highest in EU. In Bulgaria the telecom sector generates incomes of 5.3% of GDP, compared to the EU average of 2.8%. Mobiltel has an important role as an engine of the economy and the society in Bulgaria. www.mtel.bg