SHOW LOW, ARIZ (November 19, 2001) - Nokia (NYSE: NOK), in conjunction with the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association's (CTIA) Wireless Foundation, today announced the donation of 30,000 Nokia wireless phones to the 'Vision One by Cellular One and Nokia' program. The phones will connect thousands of Native Americans living on reservations in areas of Arizona and New Mexico to emergency services and select community outreach programs as well as offer the safety and security afforded by being accessible to friends and family. This single donation of wireless phones, the first of its kind facilitated by CTIA, is valued at over $2.3 million and represents the largest donation of wireless phones for Native American reservations.
The Vision One program by Cellular One and Nokia, approved by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), provides Native Americans with reduced cost access to wireless phone service. While the current nationwide penetration rate for telephone service is 94 percent, 1990 census data showed that only 47 percent of Native American households on reservations had telephone service. The remote location and rugged terrain of Native American reservations makes the installation of conventional telephone lines prohibitively expensive. In order to overcome this limitation, Cellular One worked with the FCC and the Arizona Corporation Commission to provide low cost wireless service to qualifying residents of Native American reservations. In accordance with the FCC's Universal Service initiative, for an up front cost of $25, qualifying residents will receive a new Nokia 282 wireless handset and 25 months of wireless service.
"Cellular One is pleased to be able to offer the benefits of wireless telephones to residents of Native American reservations. These residents have gone too long without the security that basic telephone service offers," said Richard Watkins, Chief Operations Officer for Cellular One of Northeast Arizona. "By using wireless technology, we are able to provide telephone service to more people, and in a wider area, than would be possible with conventional landline service - all for a lower cost."
Beyond the access to emergency services that the Vision One by Cellular One and Nokia program offers, access to economic and educational assistance will be more readily available to the Native American reservation population than ever before. There is no airtime charge for emergency service calls or to many agencies offering community assistance.
"At Nokia, we have long used the term 'Connecting People' as our tagline," said K-P Wilska, President of Nokia Americas. "When we have an opportunity to become involved in a program such as Vision One, which provides telephone service to people who have been left out of the communications revolution, it shows what 'Connecting People' really means - and the power that term holds."
"The Wireless Foundation is proud to partner with Nokia and Cellular One to bring 30,000 phones and airtime service to residents of Native American reservations," said David Diggs, Executive Director, the Wireless Foundation. "A first of its kind, this donation will help ensure that tribal lands receive the full benefits of wireless telecommunications services."
About Nokia
Nokia is the world leader in mobile communications. Backed by its experience, innovation, user-friendliness and secure solutions, the company has become the leading supplier of mobile phones and a leading supplier of mobile, fixed and IP networks. By adding mobility to the Internet Nokia creates new opportunities for companies and further enriches the daily lives of people. Nokia is a broadly held company with listings on six major exchanges.
About Cellular One
Smith Bagley, Inc. (SBI) d.b.a. Cellular One maintains an "A" band license covering the northeastern portion of Arizona and select areas of western New Mexico, a market area of more than 22,000 square miles, which includes the Navajo, Hopi, White Mountain Apache, and Zuni Native American reservations. Cellular One currently serves approximately 11,000 customers and employs fifty full-time employees and provides all operations from its main office located in Show Low, Arizona.
About the Wireless Foundation
The Wireless Foundation is a non-profit organization that was established by the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association (CTIA) in 1993. The Foundation oversees a number of programs designed to put wireless technology to work addressing the challenges of society. For more information, please visit the Wireless Foundation Web site at www.wirelessfoundation.org.
For media information, please contact:
Keith Nowak
Nokia Americas
Tel. +1 972-894-6182
keith.nowak@nokia.com
Nicole Fischer
Ketchum
Tel. +1 404-879-9280
nicole.fischer@ketchum.com
www.nokia.com