STOCKHOLM -- Japan already leads the world in terms of average mobile traffic per user, and its contribution to data traffic will only increase as time goes by. Very high smartphone penetration is resulting in increased demand for network quality, which a recent Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) ConsumerLab study confirmed is a central factor in ensuring a positive smartphone user experience and hence customer loyalty. To secure network quality despite the high load caused by the data explosion, Japan's SOFTBANK MOBILE has selected to implement Ericsson's SSR 8000 family of Smart Services Routers as its main Evolved Packet Core (EPC) packet gateway node. Part of Ericsson's 4th-Generation IP Networking portfolio, the SSR 8000 family of Smart Services Routers enables operators to meet the latest network requirements for performance, smartness, simplicity and reliability. Junichi Miyakawa, Executive Vice President, Director & CTO of SOFTBANK MOBILE Corp., says: "The data volume explosion is particularly evident in Japan, where we have densely populated cities with users who are early adopters of technology. We are implementing the most appropriate equipment to ensure that we have the network capacity required to deliver the best possible user experience, and the SSR 8000 family of products is a highly scalable solution." Ericsson AB