B2 sharpens its competitive edge with ADSL2+ from Ericsson
In Sweden, broadband operators are currently competing
for higher bandwidth. Swedish operator Bredbandsbolaget
(B2) has always maintained a very positive reputation
for delivering the latest services and highest capacity to
its subscribers, helping it maintain its market-leading
position in broadband communications.
There has been a great deal of lobbying in the Swedish
parliament to promote an IT-rich society, Legislation is
being put in place to ensure that all households have
inexpensive broadband, putting pressure on operators as
well as suppliers. In order to maintain its reputation for
high-quality services with high-end users, as well as to
consolidate its position, B2 sought to grow its data,
telephony and video offering with an IPTV service in the
summer of 2005. To achieve this, B2 looked to increase
the performance of its copper wire network using ADSL2+.
B2 sought a partner with the technical skill and product
knowledge of the new standard, who also understood its
implications on the market. Ericsson was one of the first
vendors to offer ADSL2+ and could also provide
wirespeed performance and fast integration with B2’s
existing ethernet and provisioning systems.
Lars-Åke Norling, CTO, B2, outlines the key strengths that
Ericsson’s product and expertise brought to the project:
“Ericsson had the most modern platform, as it lead the
race for pure IP DSLAM with ADSL2+ capabilities.
Triple play was also crucial for us and Ericsson’s solution
guaranteed a high quality of service. Full IP was also
really important as B2 has a pure IP network architecture.”
The contract between B2 and Ericsson was signed in
June 2004, when the Swedish broadband operator
placed an order for Ericsson IP-DSLAM and its Ethernet
DSL Access (EDA) solution. It provided B2 with ADSL2+
as well as advanced features to allow the delivery of triple
play, including the capacity to offer a high-quality video
service to its entire subscriber base.
As with the integration of any new technology, challenges
needed to be met ensuring interoperability and
maximized traffic for B2. The two companies worked
closely to resolve any issues. Ericsson also responded to
B2’s suggestions – making its EDA solution even more
competitive in the process.
B2 started to implement EDA ADSL2+ in June 2004. It
is currently being rolled out at a pace of 10,000 lines
every month and in phase two of the project will be
extended to replace 60,000 lines in B2’s legacy system.
Kenneth Lidén, Key Account Manager, Ericsson,
indicates the advantages of building a strong relationship
with its customer: “Ericsson continues to assist B2 in
solving potential issues in its network, which is vital for
the successful launch of IPTV in 2005. Together with B2,
Ericsson is also learning a great deal as this product is
rolled out.”
B2’s customers already require more capacity. The answer
is VDSL2 and the company has already commenced
discussions with Ericsson regarding the solution and its
implementation. Lars-Åke Norling sums up the value of
the relationship: “We needed a fast-moving supplier and
Ericsson has solved B2’s problems in a very effective
way. The roll-out has been smooth and the service is
running well on the platform without any major issues.”
