Ericsson, MTN bring LTE services to subscribers in Ghana

Ericsson has been selected by MTN Ghana for the deployment of a new LTE network in the Greater Accra region. The deployment will enable MTN to offer its 16 million subscribers high-quality mobile broadband experiences based on HSPA and LTE technologies.

Under the agreement, Ericsson will install its multi-standard radio solution which supports GSM/EDGE, WCDMA/HSPA, and LTE. The solution supports cost-effective deployment, along with capacity and functionality evolution.

Ericsson offers an advanced mixed-mode (2G/3G/LTE) solution that offers an efficient means for operators to migrate their networks to LTE. Ericsson's solutions enable operators to support existing 2G and 3G traffic with current resources, thereby freeing up spectrum to provide high-speed LTE data services and positioning operators to capitalize on mobile data growth.

According to the Sub-Saharan Africa appendix of the Ericsson Mobility Report, WCDMA/HSPA combined with LTE will account for almost 80 percent of subscriptions in the region by the end of 2021. In addition, data usage will grow 15 times from current levels, with LTE subscriptions growing 28 times.

Ebenezer Twum Asante, CEO, MTN Ghana, says: "MTN Ghana is happy to roll out its LTE services. Our customers are looking for world-class data access that is capable of meeting all their unique connectivity requirements and we are excited at the opportunity to provide them this latest technology."

Ignacio Gelso, Country Manager, Ericsson Ghana, says: "As a global LTE leader, we are excited by the opportunities for inclusion and empowerment that connectivity brings to Africa and Ghana. There is a growing recognition among operators of the need to deploy 4G/LTE to keep their mobile broadband offerings competitive. Ericsson's technology leadership makes us a trusted transformation partner for operators exploring the possibilities of the Networked Society."

Ericsson is present today in all high traffic LTE markets including the US, Japan, and South Korea, and is ranked first for handling the most global LTE traffic. In addition, forty percent of the world's total mobile traffic is carried over Ericsson networks. More than 250 LTE RAN and Evolved Packet Core networks have been delivered by Ericsson worldwide, of which 190 are live commercially.