Ericsson provides Softbank Mobile with Smart Services Routers

22 februari 2013 * Japan's SOFTBANK MOBILE to implement Ericsson's SSR 8000 family of Smart Services Routers as its main Evolved Packet Core (EPC) packet gateway node * SSR 8000 family of Smart Services Routers enables operators to meet the latest network requirements for performance, smartness, simplicity and reliability * Subscribers will experience benefits such as faster data speeds and a superior user experience Japan already leads the world in terms of average mobile traffic per user, and its contribution to data traffic will only increase as time goes by. Very high smartphone penetration is resulting in increased demand for network quality, which a recent Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) ConsumerLab study confirmed is a central factor in ensuring a positive smartphone user experience and hence customer loyalty. To secure network quality despite the high load caused by the data explosion, Japan's SOFTBANK MOBILE has selected to implement Ericsson's SSR 8000 family of Smart Services Routers as its main Evolved Packet Core (EPC) packet gateway node. Part of Ericsson's 4th-Generation IP Networking portfolio, the SSR 8000 family of Smart Services Routers enables operators to meet the latest network requirements for performance, smartness, simplicity and reliability. Junichi Miyakawa, Executive Vice President, Director & CTO of SOFTBANK MOBILE Corp., says: "The data volume explosion is particularly evident in Japan, where we have densely populated cities with users who are early adopters of technology. We are implementing the most appropriate equipment to ensure that we have the network capacity required to deliver the best possible user experience, and the SSR 8000 family of products is a highly scalable solution." Jan Signell, President of Ericsson Japan K.K., says: "We have a great working relationship with SOFTBANK MOBILE as its sole supplier of core network and packet network equipment, and we're very happy to be able to continue to supply the equipment it needs to meet its subscribers' demands. The data explosion is both an opportunity and a challenge, and we're committed to ensuring that it benefits everyone." Internet services are playing an increasingly essential role in daily life. People use their phones not only for communicating and socializing with each other, but also for Wi-Fi tethering, as NFC keys, train passes, to exchange electronic business cards, as e-book readers, and even to watch TV. The smartphone has placed the internet in the palms of people's hands and enabled new revenue opportunities for operators. The Ericsson SSR 8000 family of Smart Services Routers can scale to meet the bandwidth needs of even the most demanding applications and allow operators to keep up with the ever-growing number of connected devices. As a consolidated platform for both fixed- and mobile network applications, Smart Services Routers make convergence a reality - thereby simplifying operations and reducing cost of ownership. NOTES TO EDITORS Photo of Ericsson SSR 8020 Family: www.ericsson.com/ourportfolio/telecom-operators/ssr-8000-family Smartphone Usage Experience: www.ericsson.com/res/docs/2013/consumerlab/smartphone-usage-experience- report.pdf Ericsson Mobility Report (Nov 2012): www.ericsson.com/ericsson-mobility-report Ericsson SSR 8000 family: www.ericsson.com/ourportfolio/products/ssr-8000-family SOFTBANK MOBILE deploys 900MHz Evolved HSPA network (Mar 22, 2012): www.ericsson.com/news/1596253 Softbank Mobile and Ericsson demonstrate new LTE feature to improve cell-edge data rate (Jul 29, 2011): www.ericsson.com/news/110729-softbank-ericsson-lte_244188809_c Improved mobile data access for Japanese users (Nov 5, 2010): www.ericsson.com/news/1459250 Japan's SOFTBANK MOBILE chooses Ericsson mobile broadband solution (Aug 2, 2010): www.ericsson.com/news/1435020 Download high-resolution photos and broadcast-quality video at www.ericsson.com/press Ericsson is the world's leading provider of communications technology and services. We are enabling the Networked Society with efficient real-time solutions that allow us all to study, work and live our lives more freely, in sustainable societies around the world. Our offering comprises services, software and infrastructure within Information and Communications Technology for telecom operators and other industries. Today more than 40 percent of the world's mobile traffic goes through Ericsson networks and we support customers' networks servicing more than 2.5 billion subscribers. We operate in 180 countries and employ more than 100,000 people. Founded in 1876, Ericsson is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden. In 2011 the company's net sales were SEK 226.9 billion (USD 35.0 billion). Ericsson is listed on NASDAQ OMX, Stockholm and NASDAQ, New York stock exchanges. www.ericsson.com www.twitter.com/ericssonpress www.facebook.com/ericsson www.youtube.com/ericssonpress FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT Ericsson Corporate Communications Phone: +46 10 719 69 92 E-mail: media.relations@ericsson.com Ericsson Investor Relations Phone: +46 10 719 00 00 E-mail: investor.relations@ericsson.com Ericsson provides Softbank Mobile with Smart Services Routers: http://hugin.info/1061/R/1680295/548972.pdf This announcement is distributed by Thomson Reuters on behalf of Thomson Reuters clients. The owner of this announcement warrants that: (i) the releases contained herein are protected by copyright and other applicable laws; and (ii) they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein. Source: Ericsson via Thomson Reuters ONE [HUG#1680295]