FINLAND, July 05, 2000 (PRIMEZONE) -- Nokia has been chosen to supply leading French mobile operator Cegetel's GPRS core network. Deliveries commence immediately.
The Nokia GPRS core network solution will be integrated into Cegetel's existing GSM 900 and 1800 network allowing the roll-out of packet-based Mobile Internet services to Cegetel subscribers across France.
The greatest advantage of GPRS for mobile subscribers lies in the possibility to have continuous connectivity to the Internet, the corporate Intranet or a WAP portal, for fast access to new content-rich services.
The Nokia GPRS solution includes the Internet Protocol (IP) based core network infrastructure, the Nokia Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN), the Nokia Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN), the Nokia Charging Gateway, the Domain Name Server, Router/Firewall and Ethernet switches. In addition, Nokia will provide services for the integration of the GPRS core network into Cegetel existing telecoms networks and information systems.
"The integration of GPRS in our network is an important step. We expect demand for the Internet and enhanced wireless data services will increase rapidly over the next few years. With the Nokia GPRS solution, Cegetel will be able to meet that demand and be at the forefront of developments for mobile data services," said Pierre Bardon, Managing Director, SFR.
"Nokia has been working with Cegetel for 12 years and we have been supporting them every step of the way through the evolution of their network, paving the way for 3G. This deal is a result of this close co-operation," said Paul-Henri Ferrand, Area General Manager, Nokia Networks France & North West Africa.
"Nokia is at the forefront of development and implementation of GPRS infrastructure for mobile operators, as existing second Generation networks evolve to 3G. Since August 1999, Nokia has already delivered and implemented 40 GPRS core networks around the world, more than any other supplier, offering a complete GPRS billing system and customer care package including the Nokia Charging Centre." said Peter K1/4hne, Senior Vice President, Nokia Networks Europe, Middle East & Africa.
With a turnover of EUR 4.078 billion in 1999 and 8000 employees in the whole of France, Cegetel is the second largest telecommunications operator in France and the first challenger operator. This position is a result of a global operator strategy covering all telecom activities. In mobile telephony, SFR has more than eight million subscribers and in fixed, their "7" service has 1.9 million subscriber lines registered. In the corporate telecommunications market, Cegetel offers its fixed telephony, mobility, Internet and data services to 25,000 corporate customers.
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, broadband 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.