Press Releases

Budapest, October 7, 2011 11:30

Magyar Telekom's mobile network modernization announced in May has arrived at yet another milestone. The carrier is about to launch an extended network test of the 4G/LTE technology involving several hundred customers in the areas of Budapest covered already. Magyar Telekom is about to launch the 4G/LTE based mobile internet service on 1st January, 2012, which will be available to users through the tariff package called Net&Roll 4G.

Telekom embarked upon its large scale network modernizing project in May, which, if considering the company's 5.2 million mobile customers, is the country's largest consumer access mobile network development program. As a result of modernization the superbly fast, HSPA+ based mobile internet service with a nominal downloading speed of 21 Mbps has become available at 380 locations. And, what is reported to be the latest step of the development, the carrier announced today the connection into the test network of 80 4G/LTE stations. According to plans the intensive development is expected to triple the number of 4G/LTE stations by the end of the year and, in 2012 all Budapest areas will be covered. Following that consumer needs will determine the pace of expansion. T-Mobile is launching its mobile internet service based on the 4G/LTE technology on 1st January, 2012.

In order to be able to launch the commercial service after the experiences of a thorough test period are processed and incorporated, Telekom embarks upon the testing of an extended network based on the 4G/LTE mobile technology with the involvement of several hundreds of consumer, SME and large company customers. The invitation to take part in testing the operation of the new technology in real conditions will be primarily extended to Telekom customers for whom the 4G/LTE enabled network is already available from their home or work. The next generation mobile network currently operates in certain parts of Budapest's 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 12th and 13th districts.

Christopher Mattheisen, Magyar Telekom's chairman-CEO said: "After our LTE test implemented in real conditions in April last year T-Mobile is the first to render access for its customers to a live 4G/LTE network. Uniquely in Hungary our several hundreds of customers will be able to test this technology together and simultaneously with the carrier. Being a market leader info communication company we intend to play a decisive role in the digital modernization of the country. More specifically we treat as an especially important target the rollout of the real broadband, which constitutes the engine of development. We have arrived in yet another major phase of the establishment of the new generation 4G/LTE technology in which our two strategic partners - Cisco and Ericsson - also had a great role to play. The test to be launched now for us is also the first and real encounter with the 4G/LTE technology, and in the coming two months we are going to fine-tune on the basis of the real experiences of our engineers and customers the technology that is going to determine the fundamentals of future mobile telecommunications."

T-Mobile has been the first in Hungary to come out with an innovative tariff package structure related to the real broad-band mobile internet service, when, on August 1 this year it introduced its new Net&Roll tariff packages. This family of tariff packages will be expanded with yet another member when the 4G/ LTE based mobile internet is launched in January next year, i.e. the offer called Net&Roll 4G to enable access to a much higher speed* than so far. T-Mobile continues to increase the amount of data available in the package for those who would like to take the most of the potentials inherent in the new 4G/LTE technology and, for example, frequently watch new HD quality video contents and take a pleasure in playing online video games. The amount of data available in the new Net&Roll 4G package of fees is 40 GB for HUF 11990 monthly charge. The data usage available in the mobile internet packages can be freely used up at T-Mobile for sending e-mails, browsing, downloading data and watching videos. The use of the next generation mobile internet requires, in addition to subscribing to the Net&Roll 4G tariff packages also a 4G/LTE technology enabled equipment. At the time of service implementation equipments supporting the next generation mobile technology will be available in T-Mobile's shop network. The mobile internet service based on 4G/LTE technology will be available also for business subscribers under the umbrella of the BusinessNet portfolio, at the same time as with the consumer tariff plans.

The major advantage of the 4G/LTE technology that is also tangible to users is its high down-and uploading speed as well as the reduced delay time due to which the use of online applications and games through the mobile network becomes easier, the down-and uploading of high definition or even HD quality video films becomes quicker and even several programs can be run simultaneously, which, taken together, will spectacularly improve customer experience. The benefit of the 4G/ LTE technology for carriers lies in the efficiency of network construction, while, at the same time, it is suitable for serving a much higher number of customers. As for the new equipment supporting the LTE network, they constitute a major advancement in terms of both their energy consumption and installation, while their operation is also more economical.

In 2010 T-Mobile introduced jointly with Ericsson the operation of the LTE technology on a test network, following which Telekom also selected Ericsson to be its partner in the large scale modernization of its mobile cellular network announced in May this year. As a part of network modernization Telekom is replacing its 2G and 3G radio base stations with Ericsson RBS 6000 equipment specifically developed for the multi-standard GSM/EDGE, WCDMA/HSPA Evolution and LTE technologies.

The background of Telekom's superbly fast mobile internet service and the exchange of data between towers are ensured by a new network equipped with Cisco tools. The core network enabling the operation of LTE is built on the Cisco EPC (Evolved Packet Core) solution, in addition to which the company enhances its nationwide IPNGN (IP Next Generation Network) network using Cisco manufactured aggregation and service routers so as to prepare it for the increase in data usage to accompany the dynamic expansion of the broad band mobile internet.

*The highest speed available for the customer will depend on the availability of the properly enabled equipment supporting the technology as well as on whether the network supports the technology at a given location and the radio and usage conditions.


Background Information

T-Mobile has been the first to test LTE technology in real conditions. Experts of T-Mobile and Ericsson started LTE tests back in October 2009 at T-Mobile's centre on Szerémi Road through setting up a test system enabled to serve data. First elements of the core network were installed and launched into operation as early as December 2009. The experiences of T-Mobile and Ericsson were favourable already in this first phase and first test results confirmed that LTE implementation can be considered to be a significant step for both carriers and users.

By way of continuing the LTE test first an LTE network was set up to cover a part of the 11th district, which was introduced in operation to journalists and, in the framework of a professional forum, to university lecturers and students and, subsequently to the general audience during a program called the Researchers' Night.

Following that in fall 2010 the coverage of the test network was further extended to a part of the 5th district in order to map up the use of the LTE network in the densely built areas of the inner city. The experiences thus obtained were also favourable, i.e. LTE is equally able to live up to the rapidly growing needs in densely and less densely populated areas.