Telefónica O2 Germany will launch Long Term Evolution (LTE) in the coming months, having selected Nokia Siemens Networks as one of two suppliers for the rollout, using both 800 MHz and 2.6 GHz frequency bands. The deployment will begin with rural ‘white spots’ followed by urban areas.
“Finally the time has come: LTE is bringing fast Internet to the country. Thanks to our high speeds, customers in rural regions can now also watch videos online, download large data packages and play computer games,” said René Schuster, CEO of Telefónica O2 Germany. “Covering these ‘white spots’ is only the first step. As soon as the requirements of the Federal Network Agency are being fulfilled, we will also offer LTE800 in the cities. This could even happen in only a few months.”
“Efficient broadband deployment is a clear indicator of a country’s economic growth,” said Bosco Novák, head of customer operations west, Nokia Siemens Networks. “We are committed to supporting our customers in their LTE plans across different spectrum bands. Our LTE solution for Telefónica O2 Germany complements the operator’s existing offering of high-speed wireless and wireline data services.”
Under the three-year contract, Nokia Siemens Networks will install its Flexi Multiradio Base Stations to implement the LTE sites in large parts of Germany. Nokia Siemens Networks has a large services workforce in Germany – close to 3,000 experts – to ensure a speedy and quality network launch using its comprehensive implementation and project management services. It will also provide a full set of hardware and software maintenance services. Nokia Siemens Networks’ network management software, NetAct, is also part of the overall offering.
In addition, Nokia Siemens Networks will continue to expand and maintain Telefónica O2 Germany’s 2G/3G network, and continue to provide turnkey services across Germany to ensure service quality irrespective of data traffic growth.