Ericsson wins order from new entrant Augere for India 4g network
Ericsson AB, the largest maker of wireless networks, won an order from Augere Holdings Netherlands BV to supply India’s first network using the TD-LTE standard.
The contract, whose value wasn’t disclosed, covers a network plus managed services in the regions of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, Stockholm-based Ericsson said today in a statement. TD-LTE is a newer alternative to the LTE standard for so-called fourth-generation mobile broadband.
Augere, founded in 2007 by LightSquared LP Chief Executive Officer Sanjiv Ahuja, operates in Pakistan and Bangladesh and focuses on providing broadband services. The company plans to begin operations in India early in the second quarter of next year using the brand name Zoosh. It will compete with more than a dozen providers including Bharti Airtel Ltd., Reliance Communications Ltd. and Vodafone Essar.
“With this contract we’re announcing we deliver TD-LTE at the same level as LTE,” said Ulf Ewaldsson, vice president for radio products at Ericsson. “Ericsson is involved in a number of different discussions around TD-LTE. It’s an important standard now.” The contract with Augere has a duration of three years, he said.
Augere won the spectrum, which was earmarked for use with technologies like TD-LTE that use a single chunk of spectrum for both uplink and downlink, in an auction last year, Ewaldsson said. TD-LTE technology, which is based on standards developed in China, is supplanting an older rival called WiMAX in this type of spectrum allocation, he said.
Mobile Users
India lags behind east Asia in 3G networks that enable full web surfing on smartphones as well as video calling and other services. The Augere network will be aimed at mobile computer users rather than smartphone users, Ewaldsson said.
“India today offers one of the most exciting growth opportunities globally,” Lars Stork, CEO of Augere’s Indian unit, said in the statement. The company aims to “deliver broadband services in underserved markets,” he said.
--With assistance from Ketaki Gokhale in Mumbai. Editors: Jerrold Colten, David Risser