Swiss telcos Salt and Sunrise have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) as part of plans to assess the viability of sharing network infrastructure in rural and less densely populated parts of the country.

The aim of the MoU is to boost mobile connectivity coverage in rural parts of Switzerland.

One of the key areas of this goal could be around sharing network infrastructure, as the two carriers look to "enable more efficient use of existing network infrastructure and more targeted investment in future network development, with greater financial efficiency than on a stand-alone basis."

Salt and Sunrise are looking to work closely on Radio Access Network (RAN) sharing as part of a multioperator core network sharing (MOCN) model. This would see selected antenna sites connected to both companies’ core networks, enabling customers to use parts of the other operator’s mobile network.

The MoU will look into a number of considerations, including the planning of the network sharing agreement, plus the operational, economic, legal and regulatory requirements. Any definitive agreements between the two carriers will depend on the outcome of the study phase.

As noted by the companies, both Salt and Sunrise will remain independent, each retaining their own core networks, licences, control over spectrum usage, and commercial decision-making.

"People in rural areas should benefit from the same outstanding network quality that’s available in cities. However, network expansion and operation can’t be delivered as efficiently where there are fewer users per site," said André Krause, CEO of Sunrise. "We aim to change this through broader collaboration between Sunrise and Salt. Giving our customers access to more mobile sites results in an even wider network coverage and further increased quality of experience."

Max Nunziata, CEO of Salt, added: "The proposed collaboration offers an opportunity to further strengthen connectivity in rural areas, while future-proofing network infrastructure for rising demand. Coordinating the expansion of the mobile network with Sunrise could deliver tangible quality improvements for customers while both companies continue to compete independently in the market."

The MoU builds on an existing partnership between the two telcos, which already cooperate at selected mobile sites in the country.