Nokia moves into a new market with the supply of a complete GSM 1900 network to Nuevatel in Bolivia

Nokia has signed a contract to provide the first Bolivian GSM 1900 network to Nuevatel PCS de Bolivia S.A. This contract, valued at approximately USD 25 million covers the supply of a full GSM network including switching, base station systems and radio transmission equipment.

Nokia will also supply Nokia Artus Messaging Platform, a WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) gateway solution for operators, and Nokia Intelligent Network solutions.

A full range of Professional Services covering Project Management, Implementation, Commissioning and Training are also included in the contract. Deliveries will begin immediately and operations will begin during the second quarter of this year.

The network which will continue its expansion to provide national coverage in Bolivia, will be initially deployed in La Paz, Cochabamba and Santa Cruz.

“Nuevatel is proud to offer the Bolivian market a state of the art GSM network with WAP services. This will give us a strong position to become a leading PCS provider offering innovative services to Bolivian consumers,” said Pete Simpson, President of Nuevatel PCS de Bolivia S.A.

“Nokia is committed to the Bolivian market” said Nils Kampe, Vice President and General Manager, Customer Operations, Nokia Networks Latin America. “With Nuevatel as a new customer, Nokia is strengthening its position in the Latin American market and is paving the way for new WAP based advanced data services in the region.”

This agreement raises the number of Nokia's GSM customers to 94 operators in 43 countries. The Nokia Artus Messaging Platform will give Nuevatel PCS subscribers the possibility to access the Internet via WAP-enabled media phones, such as the Nokia 7110 - the world's first WAP enabled media phone.

Nokia's comprehensive WAP solution based on open standards and platforms, enables the creation of feature-rich secured WAP services addressing both consumer and business segments.

About Nuevatel PCS de Bolivia S.A.:
Nuevatel PCS de Bolivia S.A. was formed by Western Wireless International Corporation (WWIC) and Cooperativa Mixta de Telecomunicaciones Cochabamba (Comteco) in 1999, to engage in Personal Communication Systems operations in Bolivia.

Western Wireless International Corporation is a provider of wireless communications services worldwide. Since 1996, WWI has built and launched wireless networks in Latvia, Georgia, Iceland, Croatia, Ghana and Haiti and is currently constructing nationwide cellular networks in Côte d’Ívoire, Bolivia and Ireland. In total, these systems are licensed to provide wireless services to over 65 million people. The parent company of WWI is Western Wireless Corporation, a leading provider of communications in the western United States and is publicly traded on the NASDAQ stock exchange, symbol WWCA.

About Nokia:
Nokia is paving the way to the mobile information society with its innovative products and solutions. The company is the leading mobile phone supplier and a leading supplier of mobile, fixed and IP networks, related services as well as multimedia terminals. In 1999, Nokia's net sales totaled EUR 19.8 billion (USD 19.9 billion). Headquartered in Finland, Nokia is listed on the New York (NOK), Helsinki, Stockholm, London, Frankfurt and Paris stock exchanges and employs more than 56,000 people.

Further information:
Communications Department, Nokia Networks
Tel. (Int.) +358 9 5113 8193, Fax (Int.) +358 9 5113 8199
Web: www.nokia.com, Email: nokia.networks@nokia.com