There has been widespread welcome in the town to the news that Ericsson has signed an €80 million five-year contract with eircom.
The deal will see Ericsson become the sole vendor for eircom’s radio access solutions for 4G LTE, 3G, and 2G mobile technologies across Ireland. Ericsson will also provide support services for the equipment throughout the duration of the agreement.
The announcement was made at Ericsson’s Athlone campus on Friday by Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton.
It follows Ericsson’s announcement in May of 120 new ICT jobs, and more jobs are expected in the coming years. Ericsson now employs more than 1,400 people in Ireland.
Speaking at the announcement, managing director of Ericsson Ireland, Traoloch Collins, said: “Ericsson Ireland is delighted to have been selected by eircom to continue to support the delivery of 4G services to its mobile customer base in Ireland. This contract reinforces Ericsson status as the largest 4G technology supplier in both Ireland and globally.”
Deputy Gabrielle McFadden said the news was a “great sign for their [Ericsson’s] future commitment to Athlone”.
“There is no doubt about Ericsson’s commitment to Ireland and Athlone into the future. I was delighted to visit their premises recently where I met with management and staff and saw first-hand the excellent highly skilled work carried out there.
“Companies like Ericsson are a really important part of the Midlands’ recovery and I am delighted at their announcement.”
