French-US equipment manufacturer Alcatel-Lucent today announced that Hungarian mobile operator Pannon, part of the Telenor Group, has selected its all-IP solution to unify its mobile core network and its existing IP/MPLS-based mobile backhaul infrastructure. The IP upgrade will enable Pannon to cater for the anticipated surge in demand in mobile traffic and will also lay the foundation for the future introduction of Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology.
Pannon currently serves some 3.6 million customers and controls approximately 33% of the domestic mobile market. Its high speed 3G/HSPA network is available in 563 towns and villages across Hungary, equivalent to 63.5% of the country’s population. Earlier this month, CommsUpdate reported that Pannon has selected Chinese equipment maker ZTE to build its pre-commercial trial LTE network. Under the deal the vendor will provide an end-to-end solution, including radio and core infrastructure as well as end user terminals. Commenting on the trial, Kenneth Fredriksen, general manager for ZTE’s Telenor Global Business Unit, said: ‘LTE will enable mobile users to experience high speed mobile broadband and exciting new services. With this commercial trial, ZTE aims to demonstrate the superior performance of our LTE solutions to Pannon and the Telenor group.’