Stockholm, Sweden, February 16, 2010
Ice.net Launches Extension of Mobile Broadband
Throughout Scandinavia – Selects Ericsson to Step Up Technology and Coverage
Ice.net is doubling the capacity of its Scandinavian mobile broadband network and further increasing its coverage. Ice.net has selected Ericsson as technology partner and the existing network nodes will be exchanged. Ice.net’s mobile broadband already has Sweden’s best surface coverage, with 90 per cent of the country’s area, and offers turbo 3G capacity in rural and coastal areas which are not covered by other operators. In early 2009, Ice.net was acquired by Access Industries, a U.S. industrial group.
The choice of Ericsson as supplier means that ice.net will be able to significantly upgrade network capacity during 2010. Transfer rates multiply as net capacity is increased.
“We selected Ericsson in order to ensure that ice.net’s customers receive a technical platform from an established operator with a strong local presence, high quality and distinct long-term plans for development as well as service and maintenance,” says ice.net’s CEO Per Borgklint. “Ice.net’s mobile broadband is vital to many of our customers – for example, the power industry and blue light operations such as the police, rescue services and ambulance helicopters. We are very pleased that we can now ensure the network’s future development in a better way. This partnership with Ericsson demonstrates the significant progress made by ice.net since the Access takeover to enhance the important services ice.net provides its customers.”
“This is an extremely important deal for Ericsson and we are delighted to have won the confidence of ice.net,” says Mikael Bäckström, head of sales for Ericsson in Scandinavia and the Baltics. “Ericsson has always had local presence in Scandinavia that corresponds very well with ice.net’s high demands. Ice.net will also be our first customer to use the latest CDMA upgrades, which further improves capacity.”
Facts on ice.net
Offer: Ice.net delivers mobile broadband with Scandinavia’s best coverage.
Coverage: Ice.net covers 84% of Scandinavian land area and approximately 50 kilometres from the shoreline. Ice.net has approximately 90% surface coverage in Sweden.
Capacity: Ice.net’s mobile broadband has a transfer rate of 3.1 to 14 Mbit/second.
Technology: Ice.net’s mobile broadband is constructed on the world’s largest 3G standard, CDMA, specifically developed for coverage of large geographic areas.
Ownership: Ice.net is controlled by Access Industries, a U.S. industrial group. Access Industries is an experienced investor in the telecommunications industry, specifically in wireless broadband, and currently has multiple major long-term holdings across the media industry globally.
About ice.net. Ice.net offers mobile broadband to the private and corporate markets in Sweden, Norway and Denmark. Ice.net’s unique broadband covers over 84% of Scandinavian land area and a range of 50 kilometres from the shoreline. The company was established in 2007. Ice.net’s customers include the Swedish National Police Board, the SCA company and Sveaskog. Ice.net has been owned by Access Industries since 2009. www.ice.net.
About Access Industries: Access Industries is a privately held, U.S.-based industrial group with long-term holdings worldwide. Access was founded in 1986 by its Chairman, Len Blavatnik, an American industrialist. Access' industrial focus spans three primary sectors: natural resources and chemicals; telecommunications and media; and real estate. www.accessindustries.com