March 30, 2010 - Telefonica Spain subscribers will soon enjoy a six-fold jump in its current mobile broadband speeds. The country's largest service provider has selected Nokia Siemens Networks to upgrade its 3G radio network to HSPA+, in preparation for the next generation of mobile communications. The three-year project will enable Telefonica Spain to increase data download speeds from 7.2 Mbps to 42 Mbps, the maximum possible in the current generation of 3G networks.

"As subscriber demand grows, delivering a world-class mobile broadband experience requires a strong technology foundation," says Carlos Calvo, head of Technology, Operations & Systems at Telefonica Spain. “Through this project we will significantly improve our overall network performance allowing us to continue offering the best available mobile broadband services to our customers. Moreover, as Nokia Siemens Networks solution is highly energy-efficient, this will support our commitment to environmental sustainability and lower our operational costs."

Nokia Siemens Networks will deploy new functionalities in response to Telefonica customers demands for more speed, bandwidth and new services. Telefonica's network will be outfitted with evolved High Speed Packet Access (HSPA+) to boost the bandwidth used for data connections. The modernization project also foresees the possibility of providing 3G and GSM access simultaneously using the same 900 MHz band of radio spectrum, once the regulatory authorities allow it.

"Telefonica is committed to continuous innovation, as well as improving the quality and breadth of its service offerings as a key factor to maintain its leadership," says Pentti Tolonen, head of Telefonica Spain customer team at Nokia Siemens Networks. "With our expertise and technology, Telefonica will improve network capacity, smart device signalling capability and ensure high quality advanced wireless services both today and in the future."

The project will use Nokia Siemens Networks™ LTE-ready Flexi Base Stations, a flexible and modular platform that brings significant energy efficiency and reduces the environmental impact of the network. The calculated yearly decrease in energy consumption, as a consequence of the network modernization, equals to 27.000 MWh, equivalent to the energy consumption of 6.750 Spanish homes*. In addition, Nokia Siemens Networks will provide its NetAct network management system to efficiently monitor, manage and optimize Telefonica's network