Millicom First to bring innovative O-RAN compliant Open RAN to Latin America

Millicom First to bring innovative O-RAN compliant Open RAN to Latin America

Partners with Parallel Wireless for the deployment

Millicom subsidiary TIGO Colombia to deliver service with 362 rural sites

Luxembourg, May 12, 2021 – Millicom will become the first operator in Latin America to deploy O-RAN compliant Open Radio Access Network (Open RAN) architecture in partnership with Parallel Wireless. The innovative technology will be deployed by Millicom’s subsidiary Tigo Colombia, delivering 4G service coverage with 362 rural sites.

Open RAN is the disaggregation of hardware and software components so that one supplier’s software can be integrated with another supplier’s radio and commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) server hardware. This open architecture paves the way for faster mobile coverage roll-out to remote rural areas. By taking this step, Millicom is fostering a broader industrial ecosystem, where both traditional and alternative vendors compete to provide radio access network (RAN) equipment and software, for the benefit of rural communities across Latin America.

“For us at Millicom, delivering O-RAN based Open RAN technology is an important milestone. It not only means connecting more people in rural areas, starting with Colombia, but it’s also an innovative approach to reducing cost, increasing flexibility and efficiency by diversifying our supplier base”, said Xavier Rocoplan, EVP, Chief Technology and Information Officer at Millicom. “We hope to bring this technology to more sites across our Latin American markets, as we fulfill our purpose to build digital highways that connect people, improve lives, and help develop our communities.”

Keith Johnson, President, Parallel Wireless said “Millicom is an innovator in mobile connectivity, and we are excited to partner with them by deploying our world leading O-RAN compliant Open RAN solutions, enabling them to set an example for operators in the region and supporting their efforts to be the first to bring 4G connectivity to their rural and urban subscribers. We are proud to have been selected as an approved supplier and partner for Millicom, and we look forward to expanding the deployments across many more locations throughout Latin America in the years to come.”

By bringing innovation such as Open RAN to markets like Colombia, Millicom is helping to increase 4G penetration in the region, as the basis for the future 5G deployments and to tap the potential of cloud and artificial intelligence in its mobile network.

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About Millicom
Millicom (NASDAQ U.S.: TIGO, Nasdaq Stockholm: TIGO_SDB) is a leading provider of fixed and mobile services dedicated to emerging markets in Latin America and Africa. Millicom sets the pace when it comes to providing high-speed broadband and innovation around The Digital Lifestyle® services through its principal brand, TIGO. As of December 31, 2020, Millicom operating subsidiaries and joint ventures employed more than 21,000 people and provided mobile services to approximately 55 million customers, with a cable footprint of more than 12 million homes passed. Founded in 1992, Millicom International Cellular S.A. is headquartered in Luxembourg.

About Parallel Wireless
At Parallel Wireless, we believe that software has the power to unleash amazing opportunities for the world. We disrupt the ways wireless networks are built and operated. We are reimagining how hardware, software, and the cloud work together to change deployment economics for our customers. Our ALL G (2G 3G 4G 5G) O-RAN compliant software platform forms an open, secure, and intelligent RAN architecture to deliver wireless connectivity, so all people can be connected whenever, wherever, and however they choose. We are engaged with over 50 global MNOs and have been recognized with over 74 industry awards. At the core of what we do is our team of Reimaginers who value innovation, collaboration, openness, and customer success. For more information, visit: www.parallelwireless.com. Connect with Parallel Wireless on LinkedIn and Twitter.

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