The deal follows a successful trial earlier this year, which demonstrated download speeds of up to 100Mbps, and is hoped will address the growing demand for bandwidth from smartphone applications.
“CNT is committed to improving its coverage and the quality of connectivity, offering the highest standards of service, investing in new technology platforms and extending its telecommunications networks,” said Cesar Regalado, general manager at CNT.
“Bringing high-speed mobile broadband to its customers is part of that commitment.”
The 4G service is not expected to cause any disruption to existing 2G and 3G services and CNT hopes it will benefit both financial and residential customers in the country.
The network will initially cover the cities of Guayaquil, Cuenca, Machala and Loja, and will then be extended into rural, previously underserved areas of Ecuador.
“Our agreement with CNT is a prime example of how Alcatel-Lucent’s solutions address our customer needs,” said Carlos Pena, Andean region leader at Alcatel-Lucent.
“CNT trusted us to enable them to be the first service provider in Ecuador to offer a 4G LTE service, providing ultra-broadband connectivity and a wide range of applications throughout the country and particularly in underserved and unserved areas.”
Earlier this year, Alcatel-Lucent signed a similar deal with Surfline Communications in Ghana for the commercial deployment of a 4G LTE network in the country.
