Ericsson has been awarded a contract by Eesti Telefon to supply the Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) network of the national Estonian operator. The order is the first announced commercial contract in Europe for Ericsson's Ethernet DSL Access solution that features the world's smallest DSL Access Multiplexer (DSLAM).
Ericsson is to provide Eesti Telefon with Asymmetric DSL (ADSL) lines across rural areas in Estonia. Ethernet-based, high-speed Internet services will now be available for homes and businesses in rural areas that otherwise would have been too costly to reach. The network will eventually take over all the voice traffic in rural Estonia. The network is expected to handle voice calls, using Telephony-over-IP technology, by the end of 2003.
"We have chosen Ericsson as our vendor because Ericsson's Ethernet DSL Access solution enables us to offer cost-effective, low-risk ways to satisfy the demand for always-on bandwidth. We have always had a very good co-operation with Ericsson and by choosing Ericsson's EDA solution, we will save costs," says Toivo Praakel, Director of Backbone Network in Eesti Telefon.
The ADSL lines will be delivered using Ericsson's new ultra-compact, scalable Ethernet DSL Access solution, a cornerstone of Ericsson's Public Ethernet offering. The solution enables standard ADSL lines to be offered economically at smaller sites (starting from eight
subscribers) and uses Ethernet technology to provide cost-effective high-bandwidth links in the 'second mile' network.
"We are happy to obtain another customer confirmation that our Public Ethernet vision is the right one. Faster and cost-effective deployment of an Ethernet based network is very important to Eesti Telefon. It is our privilege to help our long-time customer achieve their goals in fast-growing DSL market and offer their customers high-speed Internet services in Estonia," says Veiko Sepp, President of Ericsson Estonia.
Estonia is experiencing a strong demand for ADSL. In a country with a population of 1.5 million, Eesti Telefon has 32,500 DSL lines today and expects to have 15,000 new broadband subscribers by the end of 2003. In Estonia, 4.1% of all lines are DSL. Ericsson has previously supplied most of Eesti Telefon's Gigabit Ethernet based Metropolitan Area Networks in major cities in Estonia as well as their Data Backbone Core Network in the country.
Ericsson is shaping the future of Mobile and Broadband Internet communications through its continuous technology leadership. Providing innovative solutions in more than 140 countries, Ericsson is helping to create the most powerful communication companies in the world. Read more at http://www.ericsson.com/press Read more about Ethernet DSL Access at: www.ericsson.com/multiservicenetworks/EthernetDSLAccess
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT
Peter Olofsson, Director Public Relations
Ericsson, Corporate Communications
Phone: + 46 8 719 18 80, + 46 70 267 34 45
E-mail: press.relations@lme.ericsson.se
About Eesti Telefon
Eesti Telefon is the biggest telecommunication enterprise in Estonia, founded in 1993 and owned by Eesti Telekom. Being a leader in the Estonian Internet and data communication market, Eesti Telefon provides ADSL and Internet solutions as well as voice communication products to enterprises and home-users.
About Ericsson's Ethernet DSL Access Solution
Ericsson's Ethernet DSL Access solution enables fixed network operators to deploy the required second-mile bandwidth at less than half of the cost of equivalent ATM-based bandwidth. By avoiding concentration in the DSLAM and connecting directly to an Ethernet aggregation network, the new solution opens up the possibility to support high bandwidth-demanding services without DSLAM bottlenecks, while at the same time reducing transport costs ten-fold. This dramatically alters the economics of rolling out DSL and enables operators to address the 'second wave' of broadband subscribers profitably, following the initial early-adopter wave.
A key advantage of providing DSL services in this way is that existing standardized DSL interfaces are unchanged. The subscriber simply uses a standard DSL modem, which the Ethernet connection from the PC or LAN plugs into in the normal way.