Ericsson is building an HSPA-enabled 3G network for leading Argentinean operator, Personal. Ericsson will also expand and modernize Personal's existing network with its Mobile Softswitch solution.

Under the agreement, Ericsson will provide new 3G/HSPA core and radio networks, including the Mobile Softswitch. Ericsson will also be the prime-integrator for the network and will provide business consulting services.

Marco di Costanzo, Mobile Network Director, of Personal Argentina, says: "Ericsson's state-of-the-art technology and experience in 3G/WCDMA/HSPA systems will allow us to provide a best-in-class end-to-end customer experience. It will also enable us to make a giant leap forward on the Argentinean mobile broadband market enabling new multimedia services delivery"

Ericsson's HSPA solution enables already today download speeds of up to 14.4Mbps and upload speeds of 1.4Mbps. The advanced technology lets operators more than double their system capacity and cuts response times for interactive services. On average, users will be able to download 20 times faster than with a GSM/GPRS connection. Future evolution steps will increase the HSPA download speed to 42Mbps and the upload speed to 12Mbps. Ericsson offers HSPA support on many frequency bands ranging from 850MHz to 2.6GHz.