Partner may switch from Ericsson for 4G

The company will hold an equipment tender shortly in order to be ready as soon as frequencies become available.

10 March 10 20:6, Gad Perez

Partner Communications (Nasdaq: PTNR; TASE: PTNR; LSE:PCCD) is starting to put together a strategic plan for the construction of an LTE fourth generation cellular network. In the next few months, Partner will hold a tender in which it will receive proposals for upgrading the core of its existing network, and for additional network components that will enable it to be ready for launch the moment it receives the frequencies. At the same time, the company has decided to start using its 900 megahertz frequencies, which currently serve its second generation network, for the third generation network, currently deployed on 2.1 gigahertz and 1,800 megahertz frequencies.

As reported by "Globes", Partner has criticized its main supplier, Ericsson, for alleged arrogant behavior towards the company. Partner has decided to take a serious look at Nokia-Siemens and Chinese company Huawei, and probably also Alcatel-Lucent, as possible participants in the tender. The required frequencies are due to be released by the IDF at the end of 2011 or the beginning of 2012.

On the possibility of introducing additional suppliers for the network, a senior Partner source said, "Nokia-Siemens and Huawei are companies that have shown us that they have impressive solutions for rolling out an LTE network, alongside Ericsson. We will upgrade our core network to IP so that we can unite voice and data, and we will upgrade the network to speeds of 21 and 42 mega in the future." Asked about relations with Ericsson, he responded, "We have switched suppliers in the past, why shouldn't we do it again?"

Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on March 10, 2010

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