Swedish company Ericsson said that it has extended its contract with Alltel Wireless, the largest wireless network in the U.S., taking their relationship a step forward.

“The extension of our agreement with Alltel demonstrates our commitment to support our long-term relationship with one of the key wireless operators in the country,” said Angel Ruiz, president and chief executive officer for Ericsson North America.

The deal is an extension of the existing agreement, in which Ericsson manages the complete system operations and maintenance of Alltel''s Multimedia Messaging Services (MMS).

“This deal guarantees that Ericsson will continue to deliver the highest quality multimedia content to Alltel customers,” added Ruiz.

Under the previous agreement, signed in 2003, Ericsson was tasked with the responsibility of overseeing operations and support of Alltel's MMS solution, helping Alltel stimulate usage and grow its revenue stream through customized use cases, inter-carrier messaging and video support.