Vodafone Australia is completely modernising and consolidating its core network with Ericsson’s help as part of its multi-billion network investment that includes a 2015 upgrade to VoLTE voice over 4G.
A major upgrade of Vodafone’s core network has been announced, with Ericsson selected to help Vodafone build and utilise the world’s most technologically advanced telecommunications infrastructure.
Promising to deliver a new core network that will offer “greater network agility and flexibility, create cost efficiencies, and enable the introduction of new LTE (4G) services”, the Company intends delivering Voice over 4G LTE capabilities (VoLTE) in 2015, following trials “later this year”.
The news follows Vodafone’s previous announcement that it will reach 95pc of Australia’s metropolitan population by the end of 2014 using its low-band 850MHz spectrum holding – the same frequency Telstra’s Next G network uses.
Vodafone CTO, Benoit Hanssen said: “The current 4G networks primarily focus on providing faster data services. Customers have rapidly adopted 4G smartphones, which offer very fast data speeds.
“But no Australian network is offering voice calls on its 4G network, and our new core network will enable us to do that”.
“With our enhanced indoor 4G coverage and voice calls on the same network, our customers will feel the difference. The call audio quality will be high definition, and call connection times will be significantly shorter.
“In other words, there will be virtually no time lag between the customer pressing the call button and the call being connected when they are using 4G”, said Mr Hanssen.
The upgrade program is part of Vodafone’s previously announcement multi-billion dollar commitment to upgrading its network and customer experiences, and is part of a “five-year network evolution program” that will also see “Vodafone adopting Network Functions Virtualisation (NFV) in the core network which will provide greater network agility and flexibility and create cost efficiencies.”
“Vodafone is the first operator in Australia to commit to this technology in its core network, meaning we will have one of the most advanced networks in the world,” added Mr Hanssen.
“It cements Vodafone’s reputation as one of the world leaders in mobile network technology.”
“Our customers will be the big winners as Vodafone will have an even more reliable and resilient network – for them, it will simply mean an even better customer experience,” Mr Hanssen concluded.
H?kan Eriksson, the Head of Ericsson Australia and New Zealand said his team is ready to work with Vodafone to create an even better service for its customers.
“Vodafone will have world’s leading technology in their core network which will enable it to deliver greater network reliability, performance and efficiency,” he said.
Alex on Google+
