Ericsson has consolidated approximately 12,000 3G sites for Mobile Broadband Network (MBNL), a network joint-venture between Three and Everything Everywhere, the company that runs Orange and T-Mobile in the UK, to provide more coverage and capacity for Three and T-Mobile UK customers.

The company said that this active network consolidation project includes all 3G sites, transmitters, base station equipment and backhaul connected to the operator’s core networks are now fully configured for high speed mobile broadband access.

Ericsson said that the project will allow Three and Everything Everywhere to see significant savings and environment benefits because of network sharing.

The network sharing includes switching off more than 5,000 sites, of which approximately 2,000 have already been fully decommissioned.

Ericsson head of business unit global services Magnus Mandersson said all the partners involved in the network sharing project, not least T-Mobile and Three customers have all emerged as winners.