Ericsson Completes Thai Airport 3G Network

ASIA Thailand : Ericsson has successfully completed the turnkey project of designing and integrating a multi-operator In-Building Solution (IBS) at the Suvarnabhumi Airport, Thailand's new international airport. The Ericsson IBS solution enables commuters and staff members of the airport, poised to be a major transportation hub in South East Asia, to enjoy advanced communications with seamless and high-quality coverage, as well as international roaming services.

The IBS system incorporates six different technologies, including WCDMA, and GSM. This solution will also be the foundation for the airport's in-building communications network to migrate smoothly to 3G in the future.

Ericsson was awarded the contract for the IBS solution for the new airport by the country's top five mobile operators -- Advanced Info Service (AIS), DTAC, True Move, Hutchison CAT Wireless and Thai Mobile.

As the prime integrator, Ericsson was commissioned to provide a comprehensive range of services, including program management, network design, installation, integration and testing for the combined wireless application solutions that will serve the five operators' customers.

Wichian Mektrakarn, Executive Vice President for Operations at AIS, says: "By cooperating with Ericsson in developing the GSM mobile network at Suvarnabhumi Airport, AIS believes that our customers, tourists and visitors will benefit from a premium quality network that provides high quality services for both voice and data communications. At the same time, they will also enjoy the value-added services that AIS is offering them."

Chutichai Napasab, CTO, Hutchison CAT Wireless, says: "We are confident that Ericsson's In-Building Solutions will deliver smooth connections to our customers in both mobile telephony and wireless internet. This is important as we believe Suvarnabhumi Airport will be a key hub for international and domestic commuters."

Vichaow Rakphongphairoj, Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer, True Corporation Plc, adds that "True Move is happy to work together with Ericsson along with the other mobile operators for this IBS project. This mutual appointment reflects the good cooperation between Thai mobile operators and Ericsson in providing solutions that are optimised for superior end-user experience."

Hans O. Karlsson, Country Manager of Ericsson Thailand, says that this contract further strengthens Ericsson's leadership in in-building communication solutions.

"This is indeed a significant milestone for Ericsson Thailand and we are honoured to have the trust of the country's five largest mobile operators to develop and implement the best-in-class in-building communication solutions, adding that Ericsson's global experience and strengths had been key in ensuring the success of the project, backed by a strong local presence and expertise," he added.

Under the project, around 1,200 antennas were installed to cover the whole area of the new Suvarnabhumi Airport, including 563,000 square metres of public area and car park space. Scheduled to open late this year, the airport is expected to serve up to 45 million passengers each year and this number may double to 120 million when the airport's second phase is completed.