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Italy’s H3G chose Ericsson and Siemens-NEC in 2001 to build its UMTS network. Ericsson was responsible for the core fixed network and 45% of radio-access components; Siemens-NEC supplied the other 55% of radio access. H3G planned to begin commercial 3G service in 2002, with coverage to expand in stages.

Who received the Italian 3G contract?

H3G, Hutchison Whampoa’s Italian mobile operator, selected Ericsson as its principal UMTS supplier on 28 June 2001. The broader infrastructure award was shared with Siemens-NEC: Ericsson and Siemens-NEC were the network partners, while H3G remained the operator responsible for launching and expanding service. Ericsson’s announcement described a turnkey core network, a major part of the radio-access network, and a Milan laboratory for developing 3G services. Hutchison Whampoa’s 2001 corporate publication clarified the division of radio-access components.

What did each supplier provide?

Supplier Core network Radio access Other stated role
Ericsson Core fixed network infrastructure 45% of radio-access components Turnkey UMTS network supply; development laboratory for 3G applications and services in Milan. A contemporary trade summary also describes Ericsson supplying transport.
Siemens-NEC Not assigned the core fixed network in Hutchison Whampoa’s 2001 description 55% of radio-access components No additional responsibility is specified in the cited corporate description.

The percentages refer to each company’s share of radio-access components, as described by Hutchison Whampoa in 2001; they do not mean that the companies split the entire network contract by those percentages. Ericsson’s core-network assignment was separate from its 45% radio-access share.

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When was the network meant to launch?

Ericsson’s 28 June 2001 announcement said H3G intended to launch UMTS services by summer 2002. Broader contemporary planning described commercial service in the second half of 2002. These were targets, not evidence that commercial service actually began on either date.

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Hutchison’s 2001 industry publication projected coverage of 45% by the end of 2002 and 80% by 2004. Those figures were projections for the planned rollout, not reported coverage results. H3G’s Italian license also imposed staged rollout obligations across regional and provincial capitals, as recorded in an offering memorandum.

How did the award fit Italy’s UMTS rollout?

The award came as Italy was assigning frequencies for third-generation networks. AGCOM issued its third-generation frequency-assignment resolution on 10 January 2001; it was published on 12 February 2001 as Resolution 1/01/CONS. H3G’s infrastructure procurement was therefore part of a wider licensing and deployment process, rather than a stand-alone equipment purchase.

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Other operators were testing UMTS technology during the same period. Telecom Italia’s 2001 annual report records NEC/Siemens trials in Padua and Ericsson trials in Rome. The tests included voice, videotelephony, 64-kbit/s circuit-switched data, and 384-kbit/s packet data. These were Telecom Italia experiments, not H3G’s commercial service specifications.

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Was the contract price disclosed?

No reliable price for this specific 28 June 2001 infrastructure award is established in the cited material. Figures for other arrangements or broader investment plans should not be treated as the value of this contract.

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