Wireless backhaul specialist Ceragon Networks (CRNT 6.29%) has won an $8 million expansion contract from a mobile carrier in the Southern Cone region of Latin America. The mobile carrier has been upgrading its network since early 2012 to handle 3G and future 4G services, and the follow-on order will enhance capacity expansion and enable a greater range of 3G and future 4G services to be offered.
The Southern Cone generally refers to Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay, and Ceragon references a study by the GSM Association predicting that mobile broadband connections in Latin America will exceed 150 million in early 2013, accounting for a fifth of the region's mobile subscriptions. Thus far, only Uruguay and Paraguay are countries that have started LTE migration, but the GSMA predicts that Argentina and Chile will be big growth areas in 2013 as LTE initiatives are launched.
Ceragon Network President and CEO Ira Palti said:
The expanded order for products and services from a premier operator is further validation of the vision we have for the Latin America region. Increased backhaul density helps our customers deliver connectivity to tens of millions of users, sometimes in areas with no other options for broadband connectivity. Building on this established relationship, Ceragon continues to deepen its presence in the Southern Cone region of Latin America.
Ceragon is the top wireless backhaul specialist, with solutions deployed by more than 430 service providers in more than 130 countries.
