Latin American mobile network operators spending big on 4G LTE rollouts
In support of the expansion of 4G LTE in Latin America, U.S.-based Ceragon Networks is working with a tier one operator to upgrade 3G backhaul networks to support 4G LTE.
Ceragon did not name the operator beyond noting that it works the “Southern Cone of South America” market. The project is worth $13 million.
For this network enhancement, Ceragon is using an IP-20 platform, which provides a unified solution that includes access, aggregation and the network backbone.
“We place a great deal of emphasis on anticipating our customers’ needs in order to offer a platform with multiple products that meet their current and future requirements, while also leveraging earlier investments,” Ira Palti, president and CEO of Ceragon, said. “The extension of this longstanding relationship demonstrates our ability to provide lasting value as networks evolve.”
The Ceragon deployment is meant to reduce both capital and operating expenses via easy installation and by building upon the Ceragon equipment already in place.
Latin American carriers are rapidly working to put in place the necessary infrastructure to expand 4G LTE coverage.
In Chile, Telefónica subsidiary Movistar is working with Chinese equipment firm Huawei to deploy LTE in the 700 MHz band as part of a $700 million LTE investment.
In Argentina, regulators are gearing up for a spectrum auction meant to offer the 1.7/2.1 GHz bands for LTE deployments.
Ceragon does a lot of work in emerging telecommunications markets. In March, the company announced a similar project with a tier one African mobile network operator.
That deployment also used the IP-20 platform for long-haul data transport meant to support hybrid 3G for now and 4G in the future.
