Three million in rural Chile get connected through public-private partnership
(Thomson Reuters ONE) -
· Chile's government and operator Entel cooperate with Ericsson to
connect people in rural locations to mobile telephony and broadband
· Public-private partnership reduces the digital divide, boosts economic
growth and brings better quality of life
· Two-year project including deployment of voice services (2G) as well
as the latest 3G/HSPA mobile broadband technology
· When deployed, more than 3 million people in rural Chile will be able
to access the internet
The Chilean government, Chile's telecommunications company Entel and Ericsson
(NASDAQ: ERIC) are together implementing a project to provide 3 million people
in remote rural Chile with mobile broadband and mobile telephony by the end of
2011. The first stage of the project - Rural Internet Network: All Chile
Communicated - was completed in September this year, by which time 1.7 million
people had been connected.
Increasing mobile penetration and reducing the digital divide will not only spur
economic growth, but also empower people in these low-income areas by providing
them with all that the online world can offer in terms of education, job
creation and improved quality of life.
In 2009, Entel and Ericsson won a USD 45 million public contract from the
Chilean government to provide broadband access between 70 and 90 percent of the
rural population. The two-year end-to-end project includes deployment of core
and radio access networks for both 2G and 3G. Ericsson is building, integrating
and activating 2G and 3G at about 1,500 rural locations by deploying its main
remote base stations, many of the sites for which need to be developed from
scratch. Testing and verifying of the radio network to ensure it is performing
in line with regulator requirements is also included in the deal, along with the
microwave transmission solution, MINI-LINK, a key component that enables a quick
rollout of mobile broadband in rural areas with challenging terrain.
Felipe Morande, Chile's Minister of Transport and Telecommunications, says:
"This advance in communication is a historic moment because it will completely
change remote rural areas and open up opportunities for millions of people."
Richard Büchi, Corporate General Manager of Entel, says that mobile connectivity
will spur development in many areas: "This project is vital for Chile's
development because it links rural zones to urban areas and to the rest of the
world. Now our focus is on getting as many people as possible connected so that
they can start benefiting from educational tools, job opportunities, and
accessing information - they're all important for quality of life."
Nicolas Brancoli, President of Ericsson Chile, says: "This project marks a new
milestone in public-private partnerships in Latin America because we're
collaborating in the financing and the development of this connectivity plan.
Research shows that a 10 percent increase in mobile penetration in developing
countries leads to a 1.2 percent increase in gross domestic product. We hope
this project will reduce the digital divide and help increase social and
economic empowerment in Chile's developing regions."
Notes to editors:
How broadband brings benefits to societies across the world from the Broadband
World Forum 2010 in Paris:
www.ericsson.com/news/101027_broadband_bergendahl_20101027174234
Our multimedia content is available at the broadcast room:
www.ericsson.com/broadcast_room
Ericsson is the world's leading provider of technology and services to telecom
operators. Ericsson is the leader in 2G, 3G and 4G mobile technologies, and
provides support for networks with over 2 billion subscribers and has the
leading position in managed services. The company's portfolio comprises mobile
and fixed network infrastructure, telecom services, software, broadband and
multimedia solutions for operators, enterprises and the media industry. The Sony
Ericsson and ST-Ericsson joint ventures provide consumers with feature-rich
personal mobile devices.
Ericsson is advancing its vision of being the "prime driver in an all-
communicating world" through innovation, technology, and sustainable business
solutions. Working in 175 countries, more than 80,000 employees generated
revenue of SEK 206.5 billion (USD 27.1 billion) in 2009. Founded in 1876 with
the headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden, Ericsson is listed on OMX NASDAQ,
Stockholm and NASDAQ New York.
www.ericsson.com
www.twitter.com/ericssonpress
www.facebook.com/technologyforgood
www.youtube.com/ericssonpress
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT
Ericsson Corporate Public & Media Relations
Phone: +46 10 719 69 92
E-mail:media.relations(at)ericsson.com
Ericsson Investor Relations
Phone: +46 10 719 00 00
E-mail:investor.relations(at)ericsson.com
Press release in pdf:
http://hugin.info/1061/R/1469254/406525.pdf
Photo 2: Rural school connected:
http://hugin.info/1061/R/1469254/406531.jpg
Photo 3: Sebastian Piñera, President of Chile, using broadband at rural school:
http://hugin.info/1061/R/1469254/406534.jpg
Photo: Rural school connected:
http://hugin.info/1061/R/1469254/406527.jpg
This announcement is distributed by Thomson Reuters on behalf of
Thomson Reuters clients. The owner of this announcement warrants that:
(i) the releases contained herein are protected by copyright and
other applicable laws; and
(ii) they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and
originality of the information contained therein.
Source: Ericsson via Thomson Reuters ONE
[HUG#1469254]
Unternehmensinformation / Kurzprofil:
Datum: 06.12.2010 - 10:54 Uhr
Sprache: Deutsch
News-ID 49426
Anzahl Zeichen: 6346
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