With the help of Ericsson, Japan’s eAccess claims to be the first operator in the world to launch a Mixed Mode solution for WCDMA and LTE. Thanks to Ericsson's Mixed Mode solution, eAccess can use the same radio frequency band for both LTE and WCDMA services. Commercial launch of the Mixed Mode solution will begin in major cities across the country, including Tokyo, Tokai and Osaka, from March 2012.

LTE enables the fast transfer of large amounts of data in an efficient and cost-effective way. By switching to this new technology, eAccess customers will enjoy an enhanced user experience. It will also simplify the process of adjusting frequency allocation in the future as traffic demand shifts from WCDMA to LTE, allowing the operator to optimize its use of spectrum.

Eric Gan, representative director, and president of eAccess Ltd, said: "Ericsson's global leadership, experience and vision for LTE were the key factors behind our decision to select the company as our LTE network partner."

Jan Signell, president of Ericsson Japan, added: "As mobile broadband is enabling the Networked Society, this is yet another important step toward realizing Ericsson's vision. Ericsson's LTE technology and experience will allow us to take a smarter approach to addressing the complexity that comes with the exponential growth in data exchange. With LTE access, the operator can meet users' demands for new and enhanced mobile internet applications of the future."