April 16, 2008 10:48 ET

Ericsson to Supply WCDMA/HSPA Network to TIM in Brazil

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN--(Marketwire - April 16, 2008) - Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) has been selected by TIM Brasil, Brazil's largest GSM operator, to provide a WCDMA/HSPA network, enabling the launch of high-speed mobile broadband in eight states across Brazil.

Under the agreement, Ericsson will be the sole supplier of a 2G/3G common core network and the main supplier of a radio access network in the Brazilian states of Acre, Distrito Federal, Goiás, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Rondônia, São Paulo and Tocantins. The upgrade of TIM's existing 2G (GSM/GPRS/EDGE) network with the latest HSPA functionality will enable a smooth and efficient introduction of high-speed 3G (WCDMA/HSPA) services. Ericsson will also provide services, including network and technology consulting, network design, network deployment and systems integration of end user service platforms and applications.

Ericsson's HSPA solution will boost network capacity, allowing TIM Brasil to broaden its service offering and tap into new revenue streams. Subscribers will enjoy a richer communication experience through the introduction of next-generation mobile broadband services, including high-speed mobile internet access, mobile TV and video, and mobile-music-related services.

Mario Cesar Pereira de Araujo, President, TIM Brasil, says: "This deal reflects our strong partnership with Ericsson and will allow us to offer our customers an enhanced communications experience while paving the way for the introduction of advanced mobile broadband services."

Lourenço Coelho, Vice President, Ericsson Brazil, says: "We are proud to continue our long-running relationship with TIM Brasil. This contract highlights Ericsson's ability to provide cutting-edge solutions to one of the most competitive markets for telecommunications in the world."

Ericsson powers 90 of the world's 185 commercially launched HSPA networks and is working on many ongoing deployments.

Notes to editors:
Press backgrounder: HSPA, LTE and beyond:
www.ericsson.com/ericsson/press/facts_figures/doc/hspa_lte.pdf
Ericsson's 3G reference list:
www.ericsson.com/ericsson/press/facts_figures/3g_reference.shtml.

Ericsson is the world's leading provider of technology and services to telecom operators. The market leader in 2G and 3G mobile technologies, Ericsson supplies communications services and manages networks that serve more than 185 million subscribers. The company's portfolio comprises mobile and fixed network infrastructure, and broadband and multimedia solutions for operators, enterprises and developers. The Sony Ericsson joint venture provides consumers with feature-rich personal mobile devices.

Ericsson is advancing its vision of 'communication for all' through innovation, technology, and sustainable business solutions. Working in 175 countries, more than 70,000 employees generated revenue of USD 27.9 billion (SEK 188 billion) in 2007. Founded in 1876 and headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, Ericsson is listed on the Stockholm and NASDAQ stock exchanges.

For more information, visit www.ericsson.com or www.ericsson.mobi.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT

Ericsson Media Relations
Phone: +46 8 719 69 92
E-mail: press.relations@ericsson.com

About TIM Brasil

The only mobile operator to be represented in all Brazilian states, TIM has been operating in the country since 1998. In 2002, TIM started to bring to Brazil the international experience of Telecom Italia group using GSM technology, the most popular in the world. TIM was a pioneer in Latin America with its launch of MMS and EDGE. It also broke new ground by introducing BlackBerry, the world's best-known mobile e-mail solution, for corporate customers and subscribers in Brazil. With agreements with the most important operators on five continents, TIM offers international post-paid roaming in more than 184 countries. Read more: www.tim.com.br.

Ericsson's HSPA solution

HSPA stands for High-Speed Packet Access. An inherent advantage of HSPA is that the technology is a natural extension of existing WCDMA/GSM networks, or about 85 percent of the world's existing wireless networks. HSPA reaches a large number of wireless users and has created a mass market for mobile broadband. By 2010, 71 percent of mobile broadband connections are projected to be based on HSPA. Ericsson's HSPA mobile-broadband solution, part of Ericsson's Full Service Broadband offering, enables download speeds of up to 14.4Mbps and upload speeds of 1.4Mbps. The advanced technology lets operators more than double their system capacity and cuts response times for interactive services. On average, users will be able to download 20 times faster than with a GSM/GPRS connection. Future evolution steps will increase HSPA download speed to 42Mbps and upload speed to 12Mbps. Ericsson offers HSPA support on many frequency bands ranging from 850MHz to 2.6GHz.

About Ericsson Common Core

Ericsson's complete GSM core network is, and always has been, fully software upgradeable to a GSM/WCDMA common core. This guarantees high quality 3G services while reducing total core network costs when launching 3G by 75-90 percent. Planning, operating and maintaining one common core network and handling all 2G and 3G traffic in the same core network nodes reduces the total core network opex by more than 10 percent. Ericsson's complete common core offering includes all-IP Softswitching, service-aware packet core, IP Multimedia Subsystem and proven telecom quality IP/MPLS transport - based on the Redback-powered Packet Backbone Network solution. This enables operators to reduce core network opex by up to 50 percent while enabling an efficient launch of HSPA-powered broadband access and attractive IP multimedia services.

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