Ericsson captures first-ever commercial 3G system

Ericsson captures first-ever commercial 3G system Ericsson has won the first-ever agreement for a commercial end-to-end 3G system. The Finnish 2 G Ltd. has chosen Ericsson as the main supplier of a nationwide mobile network integrating GSM and 3G. The agreement underscores the competitiveness and strength of Ericsson's transition strategy for operators, providing a seamless evolution from GSM with GPRS to 3G for voice and mobile Internet. Ericsson will take a turnkey role in the main part of the rollout. The company will supply a full solution for the nationwide 3G and GSM system, including Ericsson's GPRS. " We are delighted of the decision of Finnish 2 G Ltd. to select Ericsson as the main mobile systems supplier. We are excited to participate in developing the mobile Internet market. The demand of mobile Internet services will grow extremely fast in the near future," says Veli-Matti Mattila, President of Oy L M Ericsson Ab. Based on WCDMA technology, Ericsson's 3G system to be supplied can also be referred to as UMTS, a European denomination for 3G. "The agreement with Finnish 2 G Ltd. is the first commercial agreement for a third generation system and strengthens Ericsson's leading position in 3G," says Per-Arne Sandström, Head of Business Unit GSM-systems. Finland was the first country in the world to issue 3G licenses, in March, 1999. Ericsson is the leading provider in the new telecoms world, with communications solutions that combine telecom and datacom technologies with freedom of mobility for the user. With more than 100,000 employees in 140 countries, Ericsson simplifies communications for its customers - network operators, service providers, enterprises and consumers - the world over. Please visit Ericsson's Press Room at: http://www.ericsson.se/pressroom FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT Isabella Laihorinne Smedh, Ericsson Corporate Communications Phone: +46 8 551 0369 E-mail: Isabella.Laihorinne-Smedh@lme.ericsson.se Tom Westerén, Information Manager, Oy L M Ericsson Ab Phone: +358 40 590 7558, E-mail: tom.westeren@ericsson.fi Veli-Matti Mattila, President, Oy L M Ericsson Ab Phone: +358 9 299 2500, E-mail: veli-matti.mattila@ericsson.fi Asko Känsälä, Sales Director, Oy L M Ericsson Ab Phone: +358 50 2952, E-mail: asko.kansala@ericsson.fi Seppo Hänninen, Managing Director, Finnish 2 G Ltd. Phone: +358 50 1710, E-mail: seppo.hanninen@kolmegee.fi Ericsson's end-to-end 3G solutions Ericsson is leading the development of 3G mobile communications and the transition to 3G systems. Ericsson offers a smooth transition path from all 2G systems to 3G systems based on WCDMA, cdma2000 and EDGE. Ericsson is the only supplier with a full range of both second and third generation systems. The company offers a 3G portfolio with end-to-end solutions, including terminals, applications and infrastructure. Ericsson has already announced 3G pilot systems on three continents, leveraging the company's more than 10 years of research in 3G technologies. The company has set 3G pilot systems in Canada, China, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK, U.S., Spain and Sweden. Company Information Late January this year, Finland's Ministry of Communications issued the third license to operate a nationwide GSM network to Finnish 2 G Ltd. Finnish 2 G Ltd. is owned by over 30 Finnish telecommunications companies. Finnish 3 G Ltd., which is largely owned by the same companies and NetCom AB of Sweden, has an operating license for a third generation mobile telephone network, which can be based on the GSM network. UMTS stands for Universal Mobile Telecommunications System. ------------------------------------------------------------ Please visit http://www.bit.se for further information The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/02/17/20000217BIT00820/bit0001.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/02/17/20000217BIT00820/bit0002.pdf