New World Mobility and Nokia sign MoU on 3rd Generation Mobile Communications trial in Hong Kong

A field trial, scheduled to begin during this month, will open the door for a new class of advanced mobile applications such as video conferencing, multimedia data transmission and other applications based on advanced wideband Mobile Internet access.

New World Mobility and Nokia will implement and test a trial system in Hong Kong based on Nokia's leading-edge 3G WCDMA technology. The results will be used to evaluate the technology in a real operating environment, including demonstration of Mobile Internet services and applications.

Albert Wong, Chief Executive of New World Telephone Group said, "Our visit to Japan further strengthens our confidence in introducing the 3rd Generation mobile communications services to Hong Kong. The local demand for high-speed data capability is expected to be enormous. By today's memorandum, New World Mobility lays a solid foundation in this ground breaking area with Nokia. By combining New World Mobility's extensive local reach and Nokia's undisputed expertise, we believe this trial will make us better equipped in the implementation of 3rd Generation services."

"At New World Mobility, we are always committed to delivering the most advanced technology and quality services to our customers. Throughout the years, we have been devoted to invest in extending our network coverage and enhancing our service quality. The development of 3rd Generation is no exception and we look forward to the unveil of this new era of mobile communications," added Mr. Wong.

The Nokia 3G WCDMA trial system comprises of network equipment, software and mobile terminal prototypes to allow thorough testing of coverage, transmission speed, handovers, power control and general functionalities of the technology, as well as real service applications. Tests will also be carried out to ensure seamless voice and data transmission.

Jonathan Yip, General Manager, Nokia Networks, Hong Kong says: "With this field system, New World Mobility will be able to develop and test services that combine mobile communications with the power of the Internet, which will help meet their customers' future needs. Nokia aims to continue working with operators across the globe, providing them with the capability to introduce WCDMA services when the markets are ready."

New World Mobility's quality mobile services are provided by New World Telephone Group. Since 1995, New World Telephone Group has grown rapidly into one of the largest telecommunications companies in Hong Kong. Building on its strategic set of fixed network and mobile licences, New World Telephone Group provides a full range of advanced, integrated telecommunications solutions, including local fixed telephone network, international communications, mobile, and interactive multimedia public payphone services. New World Mobility leads the PCS market by having more than 550,000 subscribers by mid March 2000, over one-third of the total PCS market.

Fusing with the financial strength and a depth of resources of its mother companies New World Development and INFA Technologies Limited, New World Telephone Group is committed to bringing customers the benefits of innovative and latest technologies, and is poised to be a leading player in the provision of communication, information, entertainment and electronic business services to businesses and consumers worldwide.

Nokia has experimental WCDMA field systems installed at facilities around the world, including China, Finland, and Japan. In addition, Nokia has built Mobile 3G Demonstration Centres for use by partner operators in Europe to undertake full evaluation and demonstration of 3rd generation applications in a completely live working environment. With this system, Nokia customers can experience applications such as location-based services and mobile Internet access at speeds up to 384 kbit/s.

Nokia provides 3G systems for both WCDMA and EDGE technologies. These include Base Station Subsystems, Packet and Circuit Switching Systems, Service and Network Management Systems including Service Provisioning and Billing, and 3G Terminals. In addition to infrastructure and software, Nokia Professional Services provides comprehensive service solutions for planning, deploying, managing and enhancing 3G systems.

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 55 000 people.