Finland, Espoo - Nokia and leading Norwegian operator Telenor Mobil have signed an agreement for the expansion and EDGE upgrade of Telenor's GSM network.
The agreement covers the immediate delivery of equipment and services required for the increasing GSM traffic and the activation of EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution) services providing high-speed advanced mobile services to Telenor Mobil's 2.3 million subscribers.
"We are sincerely pleased to continue our relationship with Telenor Mobil, with the delivery of EDGE to their GSM network, and in this way contribute to Telenor's continued success in Norway," says Finn Erik Hermansen, Managing Director, Nokia, Norway.
"EDGE is a complementary technology to WCDMA, and it will enable Telenor to provide their customers with high speed mobile data also in the rural areas of Norway," he adds.
Nokia has a strong track record in implementing EDGE and has reached the global number one position in this technology. Nokia has delivered GSM/EDGE hardware to close to 80 customers in 38 countries.
In addition to the EDGE solution, the contract includes care services and Nokia NetAct(TM) service and network management system expansion to cover EDGE Radio Network Management, Radio Access Developer for 3G and options to further expand Telenor's network management capabilities.
Telenor Mobil is the leading supplier of mobile services in Norway. The company offers services in three mobile networks, and holds a UMTS license in Norway. Telenor Mobil offers a broad spectrum of advanced mobile services, ranging from m-commerce solutions to multimedia services and data services. At the end of 2003, Telenor Mobil had 2.3 million customers, equivalent to 57% of the Norwegian market. The mobile penetration in Norway is approximately 90%.
Nokia is the world leader in mobile communications, driving the growth and sustainability of the broader mobility industry. Nokia is dedicated to enhancing people's lives and productivity by providing easy-to-use and secure products like mobile phones, and solutions for imaging, games, media, mobile network operators and businesses. Nokia is a broadly held company with listings on five major exchanges.
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Notes to editors
On average EDGE bring three-fold faster bitrates than with GPRS. EDGE brings seamless coverage and capacity extension for 3G services, like streaming, high-quality video/audio clips, browsing and corporate data access. GSM/EDGE networks naturally operate in GSM bands and there is no need for operators to acquire new licences.
Nokia has launched 11 EDGE terminal models and one eM2M model (i.e. Nokia 12 machine-to-machine model) by today and estimates to sell more than 100 M EDGE capable terminals by 2005.
EDGE is a smooth upgrade to GSM network, providing data services on average three times as fast and at lower costs compared to today's GPRS technology. All mobile services benefit from EDGE.