Nigeria’s mobile users to reach 230mn by 2019, says Ericsson

The country’s mobile subscription base is expected to hit 230 million in the next four years, riding on the back of growing demand for mobile data services especially amongst the youth population, said Kamar Abass, country manager, Ericsson Nigeria. Speaking with technology journalist in Lagos, weekend, Abass pointed out that Long Term Evolution (LTE), which is the next evolutionary path in wireless communications standards, will play a much larger role in broadband internet delivery than 3G (Third Generation). According to him, there are about 140 million mobile customers in the country, out of which 25 million customers are 3G and LTE customers combined. The Ericsson boss said the company is expected to make some key announcement at the forthcoming Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona. One of which is the release of the equipment makers’ new Radio System (RS).

Ericsson Radio System’s modular architecture flexibly expands to changing demands on the road to 5G (Fifth Generation) with multi-standard, multi-band and multi-layer technology. It all but eliminates site acquisition issues, delivering three times the capacity density with 50 percent improvement in energy efficiency. The system will give network operators the infrastructure they need to support growing mobile data needs, which are expected to reach 25 Exabytes per month by 2020, when 5G is expected to be commercialized. The new portfolio reduces total cost of ownership (TCO) by 20 percent. Hideyuki Tsukuda, senior vice president, technology, Softbank Mobile, said: “As mobile broadband demand continues to grow, we are addressing the connectivity and speed requirements of our consumer and corporate customers by investing in the performance of our mobile network.

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Ericsson’s new modular, compact and energy-efficient radio system enables us to target our network investments precisely where and when they are needed. This helps us to quickly address increased demand and ensure continued customer satisfaction, while optimizing our available spectrum resources.” With the new system, operators will be able to tailor and evolve each mobile network site to meet their local requirements today and in the future. Ericsson Radio System improves operator responsiveness and reduces capital and operational expenditure. Ken Rehbehn, Principal Analyst at 451 Research said: “The Ericsson Radio System represents a generational shift for key elements of the company’s radio access portfolio.

By elevating its vision from a base station orientation towards a broader systems view, Ericsson sets the stage for evolutionary network change delivering operators needed flexibility and agility. “Ericsson’s move is important to operators because it promises a strong foundation for rapid technology innovation required to cost effectively handle growing traffic requirements, changing regulatory environments and challenging commercial realities as LTE networks become 5G networks.” Ericsson Radio System delivers the industry’s most energy efficient and compact radio solution, maintaining performance leadership at half the size and weight. The flexibility inherent in the architecture is made possible by targeted software deployment, which enables fast and efficient rollout of new capabilities.

Ben Uzor