Ericsson has signed its first contract for the commercial deployment of LTE (4G) with TeliaSonera. The roll-out of the 4G mobile broadband network will cover Sweden's capital Stockholm. It is claimed that the network will offer the highest data rates ever realized, with the best interactivity and quality.

The LTE system that Ericsson will provide for TeliaSonera includes LTE Radio Base stations, which are part of the company’s new RBS6000 series, an Evolved Packet Core network and mobile backhaul solution including Redback's SmartEdge® 1200 routers and the latest EDA multi-access aggregation switch. The system is based on 3GPP standards for LTE radio technology and System Architecture Evolution core technology.

Roll-out has started in Stockholm for commercial launch in 2010. Ericsson will perform network implementation services and will manage the network during the initial operation period. The agreement also includes a long-standing partnership where both parties will jointly evolve the way consumers use mobile broadband with LTE.

Mikael Bäckström, president Ericsson Nordic and Baltics, said, "We are very happy to continue our partnership with TeliaSonera, and this cooperation signifies an important milestone. LTE brings the highest possible performance and network capacity, which is needed to meet the needs of the fast growing group of mobile broadband users around the world."

Erik Hallberg, senior vice president and head of mobility services Sweden, TeliaSonera, added, "Our customers are among the world's most advanced users of telecommunications services. With 4G, we will provide them with the best mobile broadband capabilities they can get. We have chosen Ericsson as our partner because of its impressive track record in mobile technology, strong focus on LTE development and early deployment capabilities."