Network equipment manufacturer Nokia Siemens Networks has signed a £400m contract with the Mobile-Broadband-Network (MBNL), a joint venture network sharing management company between T-Mobile and Three (3) UK, to help expand both the capacity and reach of each operators shared 3G Mobile Broadband network infrastructure.

T-Mobile UK and Three (3) UK are currently still on course to complete their joint network infrastructure program by the end of 2010; despite T-Mobile's merger with rival Orange UK. The HSPA based 3G network already offers outdoor coverage to more than 90% of Britain’s population. By the end of this year, the network coverage will be expanded to more than 98% of the population.

The new contract will include the provision of 3G radio network infrastructure, mobile network planning, implementation, optimization and maintenance. The provision of equipment and services is already underway.


Both T-Mobile UK and 3 UK have experienced very high growth in mobile data and Internet usage resulting in the MBNL network carrying the highest volume of data traffic of all networks deployed by Nokia Siemens Networks globally. Sadly this has also resulted in some less than impressive end-user Mobile Broadband speeds. The average UK Mobile Broadband speed remains just barely above 1Mbps.

MBNL has already consolidated more than 7,000 sites out of a total of over 12,500 T-Mobile UK and 3 UK mast sites due to be brought together by October 2010. When completed, the integration program will also mean more than 3,000 redundant sites will have been switched off, thus saving a lot of cash.