Ericsson seals US$1b China Mobile deal

Telecoms giant Ericsson said Sunday it had signed a US$1 billion deal with China Mobile to supply equipment that will enable the operator to expand its GSM coverage to 19 regions. The agreement was signed in Stockholm by President Hu Jintao, who was on a three-day state visit to the Scandinavian country, AFP reported. The equipment provided by Ericsson – for core and radio networks as well as technical support – means China Mobile can boost capacity for hundreds of millions of subscribers. Another agreement, worth US$600 million and concerning mobile phone purchasing, was signed by Sony Ericsson and China Postal Mobile Communications Equipment.