Vodafone Picks Ericsson, Nokia for £2 Billion Network Buildout

VodafoneThree picked Ericsson AB and Nokia Oyj for a £2 billion ($2.7 billion) contract to expand the newly formed mobile operator’s network across the UK.

Ericsson won slightly more of the contract, with the Swedish vendor chosen to deploy its radio access network across 10,000 sites and upgrade its core network, VodafoneThree said in a statement on Monday. Nokia will supply its RAN technology to 7,000 sites.

The £2 billion, eight-year contract provides the two Nordic makers of 5G equipment a much-needed sale in a sluggish mobile market. Operators, especially in Europe, have delayed expensive upgrades in recent years.

VodafoneThree ...