Nokia Siemens Networks has been selected by O2 (Telefónica UK) to prepare its network to deliver 4G - Long Term Evolution (LTE) - services across London and the South East of England. The UK operator is anticipating a rapid launch of 4G following Ofcom’s spectrum auctions scheduled for early 2013.
 
Under the contract, Nokia Siemens Networks is providing its Single RAN platform, and implementing its high-capacity Liquid Radio solution based on the energy-efficient Flexi Multiradio 10 Base Station.
 
To enable consolidated configuration, monitoring, and network optimization across the networks, the contract includes Nokia Siemens Networks’ NetAct network management system. To ensure a high quality 2G and 3G network modernization as well as a smooth LTE rollout, the agreement also includes network implementation and care services across 50 percent of O2’s radio access network including the South-East of the UK and London.

The decision to upgrade its network to 4G was made after a successful 12 month LTE network trial involving hundreds of consumers and businesses across parts of London. O2’s investment in its UK network with Nokia Siemens Networks includes an upgrade to its existing GSM and 3G (HSPA) network with the latest radio access technology.
 
Nokia Siemens Networks is also enabling O2’s radio access network (RAN) sharing.
 
“We’re investing in our network now to ensure we’re able to make 4G available to our customers as soon as possible following next year’s spectrum auctions,” said Andrew Conway, Head of Mobile Access for O2. “Our choice of vendor was based on the positive experiences we’ve had implementing Nokia Siemens Networks’ Liquid Radio solution in our network.”
 
“Delivering mobile broadband while controlling costs and improving efficiency is a major challenge”, said Rob Stent, head of the Telefónica UK customer team at Nokia Siemens Networks. “We have a strong relationship with O2 and are helping it meet its goals related to network simplification and managing the ever-increasing consumer expectations for capacity, while delivering cost savings. Our deployment of LTE will offer O2 customers an even better mobile broadband experience in 2013.”