Center of Wireless Technologies (CWT)

Key events

2011

Start of production of base stations on the joint venture with Mikran

On December 1, 2011 Nokia Siemens Networks, Mikran scientific and production firm and Rusnano opened coproduction of base stations of the Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard^[1].

The Center of Wireless Technologies joint venture located in the Tomsk special economic zone released the first base station of Flexi Multiradio 10 from Nokia Siemens Networks and by the end of December, 2011 is going to produce a lot from 1 thousand items of equipment. The Flexi Multiradio 10 station at the same time supports GSM/EDGE, WCDMA/HSPA+, LTE/lTE-Advanced and more than 10 Gbps offer capacity, consuming at the same time energy in comparison with stations of the previous generation Flexi Base Station is 30% less (about 1 kW on ensuring communication according to all standards 3GPP).

"We introduced technology know-how to the country that will help development with Russia of own personnel potential for production of the modern equipment LTE and also will become one of components upon transition to the innovation economy, - the CEO of Nokia Siemens Networks in Russia Christina Tikhonova noted. - Russia is the important market for Nokia Siemens Networks. Thanks to placement here we will be able to become closer than production capacities to the Russian operators, having simplified logistics and having reduced delivery time of base stations for fast deployment of networks".

By December, 2011 Nokia Siemens Networks created base for implementation in Russia of research and development and opened the global center of operation of networks which will provide to the Russian operators service in the field of managed services, says in Voronezh.

"At the moment no more than ten companies in the world can release the equipment with support of technology of fourth generation of LTE. And now production in the Tomsk special economic zone – among them. It is an important step on the way to creation of modern telecommunication infrastructure and the innovation economy. And in scales not only the region, but also the whole country", - the CEO of Special economic zones management company Oleg Kostin emphasized.

At the ceremony devoted to start of the plant on December 1, 2011 the video call in the HD format which was executed using the Flexi Multiradio station which is released at the plant in Tomsk was shown. For ensuring phase lock of the base station the signal of the Russian satellite GLONASS system was also for the first time used.

The agreement of NPF Mikran and NSN on distribution of actions in the joint venture

On September 20, 2011 it became known that Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) and NPF Mikran signed an agreement on distribution of actions in the created Center of Wireless Technologies joint venture which will be engaged in production of the base stations (BS) 4G of LTE for the Russian operators. Production should be located in the Special economic zone of technology development type in Tomsk. The agreement of intent on production of base stations of the LTE company was published in March, 2011.

According to the shareholders' agreement the NSN group (NSN B.V. companies and the Russian division of NSN) at the first stage 75% of stocks of the joint venture will locate, and Mikrana 25% of stocks will depart. At the second stage, presumably at the end of 2011, as a result of sale Rusnano will get another 25% of stocks of the joint venture. Investments into the project do not reveal. Start of production is planned for the 4th quarter 2011.

The agreement also provides transfer from Nokia Siemens Networks of knowledge necessary for the organization of serial production with the production volume allowing to satisfy requirements of the Russian telecommunication market. Specialists of Mikran will use technologies, a know-how and the equipment NSN for production of base stations for 4G networks of the LTE standard, including system modules, radio modules and nodes for LTE networks.

Earlier it was reported that production volume on the new joint venture can reach 10 thousand BS LTE a year on condition of existence of demand for such products. It is planned that the payback of the new project will be three years. Also the possibility of export of products to the world market is not excluded. Thus, NSN becomes one of the main contenders for the status of the Russian producer of telecommunication equipment. The innovative technologies of NSN will allow to accelerate production in Russia of the equipment for 4G networks.

Notes