XL Axiata, the third largest mobile operator in Indonesia, selected Ericsson to supply a 5G-ready transport network over the next three years.

The deployment will begin in Q2 and include the installation of routers, software and customer support systems to prepare XL Axiata’s network for future 5G requirements and support significant increases in network data traffic.

XL Axiata director Yessie Yosetya said the tie-up with Ericsson is one of its initiatives taking the operator into the 5G era, noting it believes the rollout will increase network capacity performance and also improve the user experience.

Jerry Soper, head of Ericsson Indonesia, said: “The transport network needs to be 5G ready for the smooth evolution of the network”. to 5G.”

The operator had nearly a 16 per cent market share by subscribers, less than 1 percentage point behind number two Indosat Ooredoo, Q4 2018 data from GSMA Intelligence showed.