Angola’s leading cellco Unitel and Ericsson have signed a three-year frame agreement for the supply of Ericsson Radio System solutions as well as core solutions and related services, with the aim of transforming Unitel’s existing 2G/3G/4G RAN and core infrastructure as well as preparing for future 5G services in Angola. Ericsson adds that the radio and 5G-ready core expansions will enable Unitel to meet increasing data demand from users.
The agreement covers expansion of Ericsson’s Packet Core and User Data Consolidation network and readiness for 5G non-standalone services, while Unitel’s Business Support Systems (BSS) will be upgraded and enhanced to enable catalogue-driven charging across Unitel’s services and prepare for the introduction of innovative B2C and B2B 5G products and services. Furthermore, upgrades of virtual Mobile Switching Centre (MSC) and Ericsson Media Gateway for Mobile Networks (M-MGw) will improve voice services, while Ericsson Network Manager (ENM) will ensure better performance and faster time-to-market for new services. The agreement also includes Ericsson 5G RAN products and solutions, to be introduced and deployed by Unitel as soon as 5G services are licensed in Angola.