Samsung set for shock Telstra rollout role?

Samsung could become a surprising new vendor in the mobile infrastructure space, as the company looks set to help expand Telstra's LTE network.

Sources close to Australian telecommunications outlet CommsDay says the electronics giant has already started deploying its mobile infrastructure in parts of Queensland and will be involved at a number of sites initially.

With Ericsson the sole vendor for the preliminary Telstra LTE network rollout last year, the emergence of Samsung is set to surprise the industry given the company's relatively low profile in the Australian mobile infrastructure space.

Telstra noted it also conducted trials with Nokia Siemens Networks and Huawei but insists it has yet to sign up a second vendor, saying it would “continue to explore, conduct trials and work with a wide range of technology vendors, as we’ve always done.”

Yet sources say Samsung work has already commenced.

After announcing its commitment to extend 4G networks to two-thirds of the Australian population by June next year, the telecommunications company hopes to have installed more than 1,000 new 4G during the period, doubling existing coverage across all capital cities in the process.

Samsung declined to comment on the vendor's involvement in the rollout but has become an emerging playing in many LTE markets overseas, working alongside Ericsson and Sprint LTE.