Telecom Lead America: US regional carrier C Spire
Wireless has selected Alcatel-Lucent to build and deploy the initial phase of
its 4G LTE network.
C Spire Wireless will invest $60 million for the initial
phase of 4G LTE mobile broadband services in 20 Mississippi markets beginning
in September.
The 4G LTE network will be covering 2,700 square miles, a
population of 1.2 million and more than 360 cell sites.
C Spire understands the needs of the market, and has
selected Alcatel-Lucent based on the strength of our portfolio, our deep domain
expertise deploying networks, and our rich history of innovation, which will
help them continue to deliver a new breed of personalized applications and
services at the speeds consumers are now craving,” said Robert Vrij, president
of Alcatel-Lucent’s Americas Region.
As part of the agreement, C Spire is deploying Alcatel-Lucent’s
4G LTE solution, including base stations, IP mobile backhaul for 4G LTE and
existing 3G CDMA traffic, Wireless Packet Core (WPC) and a complete IP
Multi-Media Subsystem (IMS) network core.
According to Eric Hollingsworth, vice president of
Network Operations for C Spire Wireless, Alcatel-Lucent solutions enable C
Spire Wireless to develop and offer advanced IP-based services, such as
Voice-over-LTE (VoLTE).
As an industry leader in smartphone penetration, we’re
excited to soon provide our customers with the speed and benefits of 4G LTE on
the nation’s only personalized network,” said Kevin Hankins, chief operating
officer for C Spire Wireless.
We believe that Alcatel-Lucent’s solutions and
considerable global deployment experience, backed by Bell Labs’ technology and
innovations, will help us deliver on our commitment to provide a personalized
mobile broadband experience that gives consumers and businesses unmatched
connectivity, reliability, mobility and the ability to communicate in new and
innovative ways,” Hankins added.
C Spire will also be using fiber and Ethernet backhaul,
at every site and the latest Remote Radio Head (RRH) and four-branch diversity
receiver technology for the base stations.
Since announcing the initial phase of its LTE plans in
early March, C Spire has made significant progress in deploying key elements of
its mobile broadband network, including installation and testing of all major
core network elements, completion of the second phase of base station equipment
installation and integration of Ethernet backhaul at more than 70 percent of
the 360 plus cell sites slated for LTE service.
