Operators | Fone Arena

New Hutch shop at Parrys Chennai

Subscribers are to benefit from value-added service offered by Hutch in the wake of a new shop inaugurated at Parry’s recently.

Subscribers are to benefit from value-added service offered by Hutch in the wake of a new shop inaugurated at Parry’s recently. Sankara Narayanan, chief operating officer launched the shop located at Armenian Street. With a subscriber base of over 3 lakh, Hutch’s retail presence in Chennai now covers six exclusive Hutch shops and a mobile shop that reaches customers at their convenience across the city wherever they are. The new colours of Hutch have been successfully incorporated in all elements of the new shop starting with the branding to all client service team uniforms. ‘The Hutch shop is a one-stop shop aimed at addressing all customer needs and providing superior customer service and enhanced user experience at a next door location. Our objective is to offer our customers a bright. friendly and comfortable helpdesk at a convenient location’, said the COO.

Orascom Buys Stake In Hutch, Enters India

Orascom Telecom has entered the Indian Telecom arena, with the acquisition of 19.3 per cent stakes in Hutchison Telecom

Friday, December 23, 2005: Orascom Telecom has entered the Indian Telecom arena, with the acquisition of 19.3 per cent stakes in Hutchison Telecom. With the deal, Orascom is on its way to some of the high growth mobile markets in Asia. Hutchison already has operations in India and Sri Lanka, while Orascom, the Cairo-based telecom company, has presence in Pakistan and Bangladesh.

According to Naguib Swiris, CEO, Orascom Telecom, ?We have often expressed our keen interest to enter some of the largest and highest growth mobile markets in the world like India, Indonesia and Vietnam. The tie-up with Hutchison Telecom presents Orascom Telecom with exposure to these markets.?

As per the terms of the tie-up, Orascom and Hutchison will combine procurement, apart from signing roaming agreements between all the complementary operations. Orascom will send two representatives to the Hutchison Telecom board. Besides, the company will have its members on the board of Hutchison Essar, in which Hutchison Telecom holds 42 per cent stakes.

Orasom and Hutchison control mobile operators with two billion subscribers in 15 countries.

via [EFY Times]

Motorola launches Made in India phone

Motorola has finally launched a Made in India phone, which will be marketed through Hutch at below Rs 1,700

NEW DELHI: Motorola has finally launched a ‘Made in India’ phone, which will be marketed through Hutch at below Rs 1,700, bundled with free talk time of around Rs 700, taking the effective price to sub-Rs 1,000.

Launching the C115 model, Motorola officials said although this model would not be available in the retail market, there were more phones in the C11x series that would be available over the next year and they would all be in the sub-Rs 1,700 range.

Although the company did not say who was making C115 in India, it is believed that Flextronics is doing it.

Nokia supplies its mobile softswitch to Hutchison 3G Austria

Hutchison 3G Austria has selected Nokia to supply its mobile softswitch solution for optimizing Hutchison 3G Austria’s mobile network

NOKIA PRESS RELEASE December 22, 2005

Nokia supplies its mobile softswitch to Hutchison 3G Austria

Espoo, Finland – Hutchison 3G Austria has selected Nokia to supply its mobile softswitch solution for optimizing Hutchison 3G Austria’s mobile network. The 3GPP Release 4 architecture of the Nokia MSC Server System will allow Hutchison 3G Austria to gain significant cost savings in the operation of its WCDMA 3G network and will enable the operator to continue to offer the most advanced mobile multimedia services to its customers. Deliveries have started, with the target of having the system operational by the end of the year.

Nokia also provides a wide range of services, including project management, installation, integration, commissioning and care services. The system continues to be supported by the multitechnology Nokia NetAct(TM) solution.

“We are confident that Nokia’s cost-efficient MSC Server System keeps us ahead in the competition,” said Jan Trionow, Chief Technology Officer, Hutchison 3G Austria. “The Nokia MSC Server allows us to continue offering advanced 3G voice and mobile multimedia services to our customers, while offering a smooth migration path to All-IP in the future.”

“We are pleased to introduce the Nokia MSC Server solution into Hutchison 3G Austria’s network,” said Jorg Erlemeier, General Manager, Networks, Nokia. “The Nokia MSC Server System is a market-leading solution, offering Hutchison 3G Austria cost and operational efficiency.”

Nokia continues as the sole supplier for Hutchison 3G Austria’s core network.

Nokia leads the 3GPP Release 4 mobile softswitch market with over 70 customers for the Nokia MSC Server, over 20 of which are already in live commercial use.

Airtel and Bird to laucnh 1399 prepaid offer

Bird mobiles a chinese mobile maker and india’s Airtel have partnered to offer a bundled handset and connection for just 1399 rupees

Bird Phones, the Chinese cell phone company, has entered into a ‘bundling’ pact with Airtel under which a connection and handset is being provided for just Rs1399 but with a lock-in-period.

Adarsh Shastri, Director, Marketing, Bird Phones, said, “We shall be offering a handset for just Rs1399 along with a pre-paid connection of Airtel which also includes Rs600 worth free talk-time to be spread over six months. The scheme involves huge subsidy which is being shared by both parties.”

The scheme was launched in first week of November in six circles and the company sold 65,000 handsets in first 20 days, Shastri claimed.

“Our target is to supply five lakh handsets till end of current fiscal,” he added.

The same model of handset is being sold at Rs3,000 in the open market. The bundled (handset plus Airtel pre-paid connection) scheme comes with a 8-month lock-in-period whereby the consumer is barred from using the same handset for another connection.

Currently, the scheme is available in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh (East and West), West Bengal, Orissa and Bihar, he said adding the company was planning to cover all India soon.

India Can Wait; Airtel To Launch 3G Services In Seychelles Soon

India will have to wait for 3G services for some more time. But not Seychelles. Airtel, India’s leading mobile telephone service provider, will shortly launch 3G mobile services in Seychelles.

India will have to wait for 3G services for some more time. But not Seychelles. Airtel, India’s leading mobile telephone service provider, will shortly launch 3G mobile services in Seychelles. Telecom Seychelles Limited, owned by Bharti Tele-Ventures, has been providing mobile and basic telephone services in Seychelles for the last 7 years under the Airtel brand, It will invest 44 million Seychelles Rupees for rolling out the services.

The new 3G and GPRS network will add a new dimension to the services provided to all Postpaid and Prepaid customers and roamers. This upgrade will open a gateway to Broadband Internet Access, Video Calling, Picture Messaging (MMS), Data Cards, Prepaid Roaming, Advanced Billing System and loads of other Value Added Services. The new 3G upgrade will also provide fast and more reliable Internet access of up to 384 kbps as against 10 kbps in 2G or 30 KBPS in GPRS, the release said.

The 3G Network will be on the IMT 2000 Band (3GSM) enabling complete alignment with the world standard. This will ensure seamless roaming with the rest of the world. Besides the upgrade Airtel is adding new Base Stations to expand its coverage to more islands.

via [contentsutra]

Hutch India launches new website and new logo

A new clean redesigned website and pink logo are on display by the indian mobile service provider

Hutch has launched its new logo and website hutch.in to the public.

Hutch will be operating under this new colors

hutch logo

Please log on the to see for yourself

http://www.hutch.in/home/index.asp

Nokia powers Eurotel WCDMA 3G network in the Czech Republic

The leading Czech mobile operator Eurotel Praha, spol. s.r.o. has launched the first WCDMA 3G network in the Czech Republic. The launch follows the successful live demonstration of 3G services, such as video call and Internet browsing and file transfer with Nokia High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) at the Brno trade show in October 2005

NOKIA PRESS RELEASE December 5, 2005

Nokia powers Eurotel’s WCDMA 3G network in the Czech Republic

Nokia and Eurotel test HSDPA in live network

Espoo, Finland – The leading Czech mobile operator Eurotel Praha, spol. s.r.o. has launched the first WCDMA 3G network in the Czech Republic. The launch follows the successful live demonstration of 3G services, such as video call and Internet browsing and file transfer with Nokia High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) at the Brno trade show in October 2005. In the first phase, the 3G services are available in Prague and Brno, but are expanding rapidly to other parts of the country.

“We are pleased to announce another notable first – being Czech Republic’s first mobile operator to launch services such as mobile TV, live video, full-track music downloads and video call, powered by WCDMA 3G, to our customers. This is a natural expansion of our current services and will strengthen our position as the market innovator,” says Stanislav Kura, Chief Strategy and Product Development Officer, Eurotel Praha, spol. s.r.o. “We are pleased to see that Nokia’s capability in WCDMA 3G network deployment helped us to launch the service in record time and according to our plans.”

Nokia and Eurotel are currently also trialling HSDPA, which is an important step in bringing faster mobile services to consumers. The two companies have completed an HSDPA call, reaching 1.8 Mbps download speed, in Eurotel’s live network using Nokia’s 3G network technology. “Internet browsing is a great example of the benefits that HSDPA will bring to consumers. It also demonstrates Eurotel’s commitment to maintaining leadership in broadband mobile data services,” says Stanislav Kura. “We are satisfied with Nokia’s solution and their support in making this high-quality HSDPA call and looking forward to put it in commercial operation.”

“We are very pleased to continue our long term and successful cooperation with Eurotel and join hands to achieve an important milestone in the Czech Republic’s mobile communications through the commercial launch of WCDMA 3G services,” says Matti Palom?ki, Country Director, Networks, Nokia. “Nokia is proud to cooperate with Eurotel in shaping the future of mobile multimedia communications.”

As part of the deal announced in September, Nokia provides Eurotel radio and packet core networks, including state-of-the-art 3GPP Release 4 MSC Server System, Nokia Flexi Intelligent Service Node (ISN), Nokia IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) and HSDPA-ready Nokia UltraSite WCDMA base stations. Nokia also provides the Nokia NetAct(TM) network management solution, and services for network planning and implementation, operation and maintenance, and training.

The Nokia HSDPA is a cost-optimized, high performance solution with a software upgrade to the WCDMA 3G network that offers end users significantly faster download speeds. Operators upgrading their networks with the Nokia HSDPA solution can take advantage of improved data rates and throughput, enhancing the efficiency of the network to support a higher number of users at a lower cost per user. The Nokia HSDPA solution allows operators to provide enhanced end-user services at significantly lower cost per bit. Currently, several operators are testing the first HSDPA release, showing encouraging test results.

Later, an upgrade to High Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA) with enhanced upload speeds will be available in a similar manner. Nokia upload speed is already 384 kbps. Nokia already has over 20 HSDPA contracts, 7 of which have been published.

About Eurotel Praha, spol. s r.o.
Eurotel Praha, spol. s r.o. reported almost 4.5 million customers in its nework at the end of September 2005. The mobile telephone networks of Eurotel 900/1800 MHz and 450 MHz cover a territory which has 99 percent of the population of the Czech Republic (more than 10 million people). Eurotel holds a UMTS license for the operation of 3rd generation mobile services.

As well as services for post-paid customers on billed tariffs, Eurotel offers prepaid cards under the brand name Go and a full range and content of multi-media services, including video, MMS, voice services, WAP and SMS. Eurotel is the only mobile operator in the Czech Republic which offers the two most advanced GSM (wireless) data transfer technologies. General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) and GSM High-Speed Circuit-Switched Data (HSCSD) are available to contractual customers and customers with prepaid services. Eurotel as the first operator in Europe offers the CDMA2000 1xEV-DO high speed Internet access in its 450 MHz network. The high quality of Eurotel services includes SuperSound technology, which ensures a clean voice connection and 397 roaming partners in 160 countries around the world.

Eurotel Praha is a limited liability company (spol. s r. o.), and is owned (100%) by CESK? TELECOM, a. s.

About Nokia
Nokia is a world leader in mobile communications, driving the growth and sustainability of the broader mobility industry. Nokia connects people to each other and the information that matters to them with easy-to-use and innovative products like mobile phones, devices and solutions for imaging, games, media and businesses. Nokia provides equipment, solutions and services for network operators and corporations.

Airtel launched its network services in Koraput and Rayagada districts

Airtel launched its network services in Koraput and Rayagada districts making its foray into several areas of southern Orissa and spreading its operations to 300 towns in less than one year of its operations.

Statesman News Service
BHUBANESWAR, Dec. 4. ? Airtel launched its network services in Koraput and Rayagada districts making its foray into several areas of southern Orissa and spreading its operations to 300 towns in less than one year of its operations.
It has also announced to bring additional 100 towns under its network coverage before March 2006.
With this total towns under Airtel coverage will go up to 400 in Orissa.

via [The Statesman]

Decision on 3g spectrum by 2006 first quarter

The decision on 3G spectrum is expected to be taken by first quarter of 2006, said Minister of Communications and Information Technology Dayanidhi Maran

NEW DELHI: The government of India is likely to take a decision on 3G spectrum early next year.

?The decision on 3G spectrum is expected to be taken by first quarter of 2006,? said Minister of Communications and Information Technology Dayanidhi Maran.

Speaking on the sidelines of the India Economic Summit, he added, ?We welcome more players in 3G, but the quality and the price at which services would be provided should be competitive, as it is a value-added service.?

He further said, ?3G is not a replacement of 2G. Even when 3G comes into India, investment in 2G would still continue.?

Speaking on the issue of unbundling the last mile, Maran opined, ?Government will not go for unbundling the last mile. I am very happy with the broadband progress and see no necessity for unbundling the last mile.?

He also stressed on the need for provision of more content. ?Price of broadband and PCs have gone down but there is no content to be accessed through these. We have to make sure that it is available,? he said.

He further informed that the new telecom policy would be out next year. ?IndiaOne is also happening and we have removed almost all barriers for its rollout,? he added.

via [ciol]

Nokia wins a GSM network contract with Telefonica Moviles Colombia

Nokia and Telefonica Moviles have agreed to provide a complete GSM system deal to Telefonica Moviles Colombia which includes GSM radio access and MSC Server System (MSS), giving it the chance to broaden its service offering to its customers. The deal marks a new customer for Nokia.

NOKIA PRESS RELEASE December 1, 2005

Nokia wins a GSM network contract with Telef?nica M?viles Colombia

First agreement for introducing Nokia MSC Server System in Telef?nica M?viles Group

Espoo, Finland – Nokia and Telef?nica M?viles have agreed to provide a complete GSM system deal to Telef?nica M?viles Colombia which includes GSM radio access and MSC Server System (MSS), giving Telef?nica M?viles the chance to broaden its service offering to its customers. The deal marks a new customer for Nokia.

“Nokia has shown understanding of our customer requirements, and has been a reliable supplier of network equipment and services to meet those requirements,” says Sergio Regueros, CEO, Telef?nica M?viles Colombia, “Through this new deal, movistar takes a step forward to provide the best and widest range of services in Colombia and in the immediate future, will enable the migration to more advanced mobile services.”

Nokia is supplying Telef?nica M?viles subsidiary in Colombia with a new mobile softswitch: Nokia MSC Server System, compliant with the 3GPP release 4 standardization. Nokia is also supplying a country-wide GSM radio network, complemented by Nokia NetAct (TM) network service and management system, Operations Support System (OSS) and operations support for three months. The deal includes network planning, installation, optimization services and training. Deliveries have already begun.

“This agreement reinforces our successful cooperation with Telef?nica M?viles in Latin America, enabling them to expand their offering in the voice and data market in Colombia,” says Guillermo Mairena, Account Director for Telef?nica M?viles, Networks, Nokia. “In addition, it strengthens the leadership of Nokia in the area of new switching solutions, which will allow Telef?nica to be ready to implement 3G services and to take advantage of important savings in transmission costs.”

About Telef?nica M?viles S.A.
Telef?nica M?viles, a Telef?nica Group company, is the world’s second-largest mobile telephony multinational and the leading cellular company in the Spanish-and Portuguese- speaking markets. The company has operations in 15 countries across three continents and a customer base that exceeded 89 million at September 30, 2005. During 2004, Telef?nica M?viles obtained revenues of 11.828 billion euros. Ebitda rose 5.3% in the year, to 4.701 billion euros, while net profit totalled 1.634 billion euros. The company’s shares trade on the Spanish stock exchanges and the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol tem. For more information visit our website: www.telefonicamoviles.com

Nokia introduces Nokia 6234, 3G phone for Vodafone

In connection with its annual Capital Market Days event, Nokia today unveiled the 3G-enabled Nokia 6234. Featuring a 2-megapixel camera, a 320 x 240 QVGA color screen, digital music player, stereo speakers and a wide array of features and applications which take advantage of WCDMA mobile broadband services, the Nokia 6234 will be available exclusively for Vodafone customers world-wide.

NOKIA PRESS RELEASE December 1, 2005

Nokia introduces Nokia 6234, feature-filled 3G mobile phone exclusively for Vodafone

nokia 6234

Feature-filled model underlines operator customization as cornerstone of Nokia strategy

New York, NY, US – In connection with its annual Capital Market Days event, Nokia today unveiled the 3G-enabled Nokia 6234. Featuring a 2-megapixel camera, a 320 x 240 QVGA color screen, digital music player, stereo speakers and a wide array of features and applications which take advantage of WCDMA mobile broadband services, the Nokia 6234 will be available exclusively for Vodafone customers world-wide. The stylish and classic Nokia 6234 (WCDMA 2100 / GSM 900/1800/1900) is expected to begin shipping in the 1st quarter of 2006.

“The Nokia 6234 for Vodafone is an excellent example of Nokia’s renewed commitment to operator customization — a cornerstone of Nokia’s strategy,” says Kai Oistamo, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Mobile Phones, Nokia. “The operator-exclusive Nokia 6234 offers a familiar design and Nokia’s intuitive, easy-to-use menu structure, complemented by Vodafone’s signature colors, graphics and easy access to Vodafone’s wide range of 3G services. It’s an ideal balance.”

In addition to the operator exclusive industrial design, the Nokia 6234 offers an array of Vodafone-specific software features. These include Vodafone graphics, icons, menu texts and themes in the user interface offering a unique look and feel to the easy-to-use Nokia menu. Equally important, the Nokia 6234 provides branded access to Vodafone’s services. Additionally, the Nokia 6234 features Vodafone start-up and shut-down graphics and tones, customized wallpapers, screensavers and ringtones.

“We have worked very closely with Nokia over the last two years, with particular focus on developing more terminals which are Vodafone live! enabled,” says Peter Bamford, Chief Marketing Officer, Vodafone. “We are now taking that to another level with the Nokia 6234. For the first time, we have a mobile phone designed by Nokia that is exclusive to Vodafone. The fact that it is a 3G product is all the more important.”

nokia 6234

For consumers, the 3G-enabled Nokia 6234 offers a 2-megapixel camera with 8x zoom, operational in landscape mode. With this, the Nokia 6234 allows for pictures to be taken on the spot while the video sharing functionality allows to mutually enjoy special moments instantaneously. The bright QVGA screen displays pictures and multimedia content such as videos and websites in a compelling and colorful way.

The Nokia 6234 holds an impressive music experience, to be enjoyed via the built-in stereo speakers with 3-D sound effects or headphones. Supporting microSD memory cards of up to 2 GB, the Nokia 6234 puts a collection of consumers’ favorite albums right into their pockets. A Visual Radio client complements the audio experience of the Nokia 6234.

With Bluetooth Wireless Technology, the Nokia 6234 easily transfers pictures taken to any compatible printer and seamlessly connects to a wide assortment of Bluetooth enabled headsets and car kits. Unifying easy-to-use imaging capabilities with music on the go and 3G services like video sharing, the Nokia 6234 offers up to 4 hours of talk time on GSM networks (up to 3 hours of talk time via WCDMA) and up to 2 weeks of standby time.

About Vodafone
Vodafone provides a full range of mobile telecommunications services, including voice and data communications. Vodafone has equity interests in 27 countries and Partner Networks in a further 14 countries, with a proportionate customer base of over 171 million. For more information, please visit www.vodafone.com

VODAFONE, Vodafone live! and the Vodafone logos are trade marks of the Vodafone Group. Other product and company names mentioned herein may be the trade marks of their respective owners.

www.nokia.com

Nokia strengthens its preparations for China 3G

Nokia announced today that its Networks business group has successfully completed a High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) call, reaching the speed of 3.2 Mbps, at its facilities in Beijing, China

NOKIA PRESS RELEASE November 30, 2005

Nokia strengthens its preparations for China 3G: Completes high speed HSDPA call

An important step in developing mobile broadband

Espoo, Finland – Nokia announced today that its Networks business group has successfully completed a High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) call, reaching the speed of 3.2 Mbps, at its facilities in Beijing, China. The call underlines Nokia’s strong position in HSDPA development.

The data call, which achieved stable throughput, was made in a Nokia network using a test terminal. Earlier this year, the Nokia Research Center in China completed the industry’s first High Speed Uplink Packet Access) HSUPA demonstration.

The first commercial HSDPA software release for network infrastructure offering up to 1.8 Mbps download speeds will be available in 2005 from Nokia, followed by a simple software upgrade to 3.6 Mbps starting mid 2006 according to commercial terminal availability.

"Nokia is encouraged by the results of its HSDPA development work in China," said Keith Sutton, Vice President, Technology Office, Networks, Nokia China. "The high speed HSDPA call is part of our ambitious HSDPA development timetable. It further demonstrates Nokia’s strong capability in 3G, offering world class performance for our customers. The announcement today reaffirms our position as the leading 3G mobile infrastructure and solution partner in China area as well as our commitment to the market. "

Nokia has a substantial R&D commitment to China having six R&D units including two 3G R&D Centers covering both radio and core network technology development. Besides the Nokia MetroSite 50 WCDMA Base Station, the Nokia Flexi WCDMA Base Station recently launched will be made available for the China market in order to allow operators to build their network in a totally new way, with unprecedented rapidity and low cost.

The Nokia HSDPA solution is a software upgrade to the WCDMA 3G network that offers end users significantly faster download speeds. Operators upgrading their networks with the Nokia HSDPA solution can take advantage of improved data rates and throughput, enhancing the efficiency of the network to support a higher number of users at a lower cost per user. The Nokia HSDPA solution allows operators to provide enhanced end-user services at significantly lower cost per bit. Currently, several operators are testing the first HSDPA release, showing encouraging test results.

Later, an upgrade to High Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA) with enhanced upload speeds, will be available in a similar manner. Nokia’s upload speed is today already 384 kbps. Nokia currently has over 20 HSDPA contracts, 7 of which have been published.

About Nokia

Nokia is a world leader in mobile communications, driving the growth and sustainability of the broader mobility industry. Nokia connects people to each other and the information that matters to them with easy-to-use and innovative products like mobile phones, devices and solutions for imaging, games, media and businesses. Nokia provides equipment, solutions and services for network operators and corporations.

Nokia and PLDT cooperate in Fixed-Mobile Convergence solutions in the Philippines

Nokia and the leading telecommunications provider in the Philippines, Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT), have set up a Next Generation Network Laboratory to develop and test end-to-end Fixed-Mobile Convergence services prior to their commercial launch.

NOKIA PRESS RELEASE November 30, 2005

Nokia and PLDT cooperate in Fixed-Mobile Convergence solutions in the Philippines

Espoo, Finland – Nokia and the leading telecommunications provider in the Philippines, Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT), have set up a Next Generation Network Laboratory to develop and test end-to-end Fixed-Mobile Convergence services prior to their commercial launch. The Next Generation Network Laboratory can leverage PLDT’s current fixed and mobile networks to create converged services for PLDT Group customers.

Nokia has provided the Next Generation Network Laboratory with end-to-end Fixed-Mobile Convergence solutions, comprised of Unified Core and converged access networks as well as Nokia multimedia and VoIP enabled terminals.

"At the PLDT Group our mobile arm Smart Communcations has been a global pioneer in many new GSM services, like m-Commerce and electronic pre-paid top-ups. We see convergence as an opportunity to provide our customers with new innovative services that will drive the future growth of our business," says Don Rae, Chief Operations Adviser, PLDT. "Convergence is an important part of PLDT’s vision, and the Next Generation Network Laboratory provides us with a test bed where we can trial new ideas and services before commercial launches."

"We are delighted to be working with PLDT to address emerging opportunities for combining fixed and mobile networks and services in the Philippines," says Markku Nieminen, Account Director, Networks, Nokia. "Nokia is trialling its converged solutions with many leading operators worldwide, providing powerful solutions for consumers and corporate customers, as well as fixed and mobile networks, in what is shaping up to be a new chapter in this industry."

As an example of the new services development, PLDT and Nokia organized a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) contest for Filipino application developers called the "SIP Challenge". Forum Nokia provides the developers training and assistance, and they can test their IP-based applications at the Next Generation Network Laboratory.

The Nokia Unified Core includes the Nokia IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), the Nokia VoIP Server, the Nokia MSC Server System (MSS), Nokia Media Gateway (MGW), Nokia Intelligent Service Node (ISN), Nokia Intelligent Content Delivery (ICD) for multi-access control and data services charging and Nokia D500 IP DSLAM.

Nokia has been the main GSM network supplier to Smart Communications since 1998.

About PLDT

PLDT is the leading telecommunications provider in the Philippines. Through its three principal business groups – fixed line, wireless and information communications technology – PLDT offers a wide range of telecommunications services across the Philippines’ most extensive fiber optic backbone and fixed line, cellular and satellite network.

PLDT is listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE:TEL) and its American depositary shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE:PHI) and the Pacific Exchange. PLDT has one of the largest market capitalizations among Philippine listed companies.

Further information can be obtained by visiting the web at www.pldt.com.ph.

About Nokia

Nokia wins GSM expansion with Indonesian Indosat

One of the largest network operators in Indonesia, Indosat, has chosen Nokia to expand its GSM network in Bali and Java

NOKIA PRESS RELEASE November 29, 2005

Nokia wins GSM expansion with Indonesian Indosat

Espoo, Finland – One of the largest network operators in Indonesia, Indosat, has chosen Nokia to expand its GSM network in Bali and Java, excluding Jabotabek (Jakarta and surrounding areas), with radio network and circuit and packet switched core networks. Nokia will also supply cellular transmission for East Java. The expansion will further enhance Indosat’s service quality and coverage, and provide a network, which is prepared for future technology upgrades. A part of the expansion has been concluded as part of a three-year framework agreement signed by Nokia and Indosat in June.

Nokia also provides the Nokia NetAct(TM) network and service management system, as well as network planning, implementation and optimization services. The NetAct(TM) solution maximizes operational efficiency and ensures speed and quality on services to end users, allowing operators to embrace market opportunities and increase customer loyalty. Deliveries have already started.

Nokia provides Indosat superior network coverage in Java, including rural areas, with high quality products and rapid roll-out capability. Indosat is one of the largest cellular players in Indonesia with total subscribers of 12.7 million as of September 30, 2005.

"We are honored to continue our close collaboration with Indosat," says Henrik Brogaard, Account Director, Networks, Nokia. "This cooperation demonstrates again Nokia’s commitment to the development and growth of Indosat’s business, as well as delivering high quality services to the consumers in the region. Indonesia has a tremendous growth potential, and with Nokia’s industry leading GSM/GPRS systems and solutions, Indosat is able to easily support the expected subscriber growth with quality coverage, and evolve its network to future technologies and services."

About Nokia