Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) has confirmed that it has been contracted to modernise Telecom Italia Mobile’s (TIM’s) infrastructure in selected Italian regions, with 7,000 Long Term Evolution (LTE)-capable base stations set for deployment. In August 2010 NSN confirmed that the two companies had successfully trialled LTE in Turin. NSN will now supply Telecom Italia with future-proofed single Radio Access Network Flexi Multiradio base stations which will allow the smooth implementation of LTE in the 2.6GHz and 800MHz bands. According to the equipment manufacturer, the base stations will be deployed in ‘some of the most developed, industrialised and economically vital Italian regions’; Veneto, Trentino Alto Adige, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Emilia Romagna, Marche and Umbria have all been mooted for inclusion in the rollout.
Massimo Mazzocchini, head of the Telecom Italia customer team at NSN, commented: ‘This network modernisation will enable exceptional voice quality and data speeds in addition to optimising the performance and supporting the strong increase of smartphones. This technology will be able to offer a throughput of more than 140Mbps, with a latency of only ten milliseconds, demonstrating the true value of a modern network for driving the growth of Italy’s economy’.